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yC-NRLF 


B    4    Olb    fiflM 


OF 
CARFENTIER 


SPECIMENS 


OP 


HAUSA    LITEEATUEB 


aonHon:    C.    J.    CLAY   and   SONS, 

CAMBRIDGE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS   WAREHOUSE, 

AVE   MARIA  LANE. 

2m,   ARGYLE   STREET. 


ILcipjig:    F.   A.  BROCKHAUS. 

jaeto  gotk:    MACMILLAN  AND  CO. 

ISomtas:   GEORGE  BELL  AND  SONS. 


SPECIMENS 


OF 


HAUSA    LITEEATUEE 


BY 


CHARLES   HENRY   ROBINSON,   M.A. 

TRINITY   COLLEGE,    CAMBRIDGE. 
(student   op   the    HAUSA   ASSOCIATION.) 


CAMBRIDGE : 

AT    THE    UNIVERSITY    PRESS. 

1896 

[AU  Rights  re.-ierved.] 


©ambrtlige : 

PRINTED    BY    J.    AND    C.    F,    CLAY, 
AT   THE   UNIVERSITY    PRESS. 


[JQJUJ^ 


,5 


TO   THE 


RIGHT   REVEREND   WILLIAM   BOYD   CARPENTER 


LOED   BISHOP   OF   RIPON 


R.  H.  493748 


PEEP ACE. 

rpHE  Manuscripts  forming  the  present  collection  were  obtained  in  different 
parts  of  the  Hausa  States  of  Western  Central  Africa,  the  first  three  by 
my  brother  the  late  Rev.  John  Alfred  Robinson,  and  the  remainder  by 
myself.  The  issue  of  the  present  volume  is  a  firstfruit  of  the  work  of 
the  "Hausa  Association"  which  was  formed  in  1891  "for  the  purpose  of 
promoting  the  study  of  the  Hausa  language  and  people."  The  original  MSS. 
are  on  paper  of  Egyptian  manufacture,  which  had  been  brought  by  native 
caravans  across  the   Sahara. 

From  the  present  book  the  facsimiles  which  will  be  found  in  the 
complete   edition   (price    10/-)   are    omitted   in   order   to    reduce   the   cost. 

My  special  thanks  are  due  to  the  Syndics  of  the  Cambridge  University 
Press  for  having  undertaken  the  publication  of  this  work.  It  is  hoped  that 
its  publication  will  be  followed  ere  long  by  that  of  a  grammar  and  a 
dictionary,  both  of  which  are  in  course  of  preparation. 

C.  H.  R. 

RiPON, 

July  1,  1896. 


ERRATA. 

A  16.     Insert  "ki"  before  "zabi." 

A  54.     For  "he  shall  not  drink  of  the  water  of  heaven"  read  "say  to  him  that  he  is  a 
heathen." 

B  38.     For  "  koshi "  read  "  ko  shi." 

D  init.     For  "alrahmani  alrahimi"  read  "errahmani  errahimi." 

D  77  note.     For  "horse"  read  "house." 

F  25.     For  "  who  excels  our  prophets  and "  read  "  the  excellence  of  oui-  prophet  which." 


INTEODUCTION. 

As  the  MSS.  which  form  the  present  volume  are  the  first  published 
-  specimens  of  Hausa  writing,  it  will  be  well  to  make  a  few  general 
remarks  in  regard  to  the  language  in  which  they  are  written.  The  Hausa 
language  is  of  special  interest,  first  because  it  is  perhaps  the  most  widely 
spoken  language  on  the  continent  of  Africa,  being  spoken  by  about  one  per 
cent,  of  the  whole  population  of  the  world,  and  secondly,  because  of  the 
striking  similarity  of  its  structure  to  that  of  the  Semitic  languages  and 
the   possibility   that   it   may   prove   to  have   had   a  definitely   Semitic   origin. 

Extent  to  which  the  language  is  spoken. 

Hausaland,  or  the  country  inhabited  by  the  Hausa  people,  extends, 
roughly  speaking,  from  lat.  8  N.  to  14  N.,  and  from  long.  4  E.  to  11  E.,  and 
includes  an  area  of  half  a  million  square  miles,  the  whole  of  which  is  within 
the  British  sphere  of  influence.  This  territory  is  supposed  to  contain  a 
population  of  about  twenty-five  millions,  fifteen  millions  of  whom  are  believed 
to  speak  the  Hausa  language.  Hausa  is  moreover  the  language  of  trade 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  Central  Soudan,  and  indeed  the  greater  part  of 
Africa  north  of  the  equator.  Settlements  of  Hausa-speaking  people  are  to  be 
found  in  Alexandria,  Tripoli,  Tunis,  and  on  the  west  coast  at  Sierra  Leone 
and  Lagos.  The  day  will  probably  come  when  four  languages,  and  four  only, 
will  dominate  the  entire  continent  of  Africa.  These  will  be  English,  Arabic, 
Swahili,  and  Hausa.  English  will  be  the  language  of  the  south,  Arabic  of 
the  north,  whilst  Hausa  and  Swahili  will  be  the  languages  of  western  and 
eastern  tropical  Africa. 

The   Hausa  people. 

The  country  in  which  the  Hausa  people  live,  although  the  least  knoAvn, 
is  in  many  respects  the  most  interesting  portion  of  Africa. 

The  reason  why  this  country  and  language  have  remained  up  to  the 
present    time    almost    completely    unknown    to    the    general    public    is    that 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

Hausaland  has  been,  and  to  a  large  extent  still  is,  cut  off  from  intercourse 
with  Europeans  by  two  physical  obstacles  of  more  than  ordinary  magnitude. 
Of  the  two  possible  Avays  by  which  a  traveller  from  the  coast  can  approach 
this  territory,  the  shortest  and  most  obvious  is  to  ascend  the  River  Niger  for 
350  miles  and  then  proceed  overland  on  foot  for  about  the  same  distance. 
The  reason  why  this  route  has  so  seldom  been  attempted  is  partly  because 
only  within  the  present  century  has  the  lower  portion  of  the  River  Niger  been 
explored,  and  partly  because  of  the  great  loss  of  life  which  has  been 
experienced  since  the  opening  up  of  this  route  alike  by  missionaries,  traders 
and  explorers  in  their  efforts  to  penetrate  the  interior  by  ascending  the 
river  from  its  mouth. 

During  the  last  few  months  special  interest  has  been  aroused  in  the 
Hausa  people  owing  to  the  fact  that  a  large  portion  of  the  troops  selected 
to  take  part  in  our  threatened  war  with  Ashanti  consisted  of  Hausas. 
About  the  same  time  an  announcement  appeared  in  the  French  papers  to 
the  effect  that  the  French  Government  had  decided  to  hold  their  newly 
acquired  possessions  in  Madagascar  with  Hausa  troops  enlisted  on  the  west 
coast.  It  might  naturally  be  inferred  from  these  two  facts  that  the  Hausas 
are  a  military  race  and  fond  of  war  for  its  own  sake.  Such  however  is 
very  far  from  being  the  case.  Though  it  is  no  doubt  true  that  they  excel 
all  other  tribes  on  the  west  coast,  if  not  in  all  Central  Africa,  in  their 
power  of  fighting,  they  excel  them  far  more  in  their  trading  and  com- 
mercial enterprise.  One  of  their  towns,  Kano,  has  probably  the  largest 
market-place  in  the  world,  with  a  daily  attendance  of  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  thousand  people.  This  same  town  possesses,  what  in  Central  Africa 
is  still  more  surprising,  some  thirty  or  forty  schools,  in  which  the  children 
are  taught  to  read  and  write.  Though  about  a  third  of  the  Hausa  people 
now  profess  Mohammedanism,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  very 
remarkable  degree  of  civilization  now  existing  in  their  country  is  altogether 
independent  of  Mohammedan  influence  and  existed  many  centuries  before 
the  Mohammedan  conquest  of  the  country. 

Relation  of  Hausa  to  the  Semitic  languages. 
At  first  sight  it  would  certainly  seem  as  though  Hausa  had  very  strong 
claims  to  be  regarded  as  a  definitely  Semitic  language.  Quite  a  third  of 
the  words  which  it  contains  are  obviously  connected  with  Semitic  roots.  The 
names  for  many  of  the  commonest  things,  with  which  the  Hausas  must 
have  been   familiar   from    very   early  times,   are   apparently   of  Semitic   origin. 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

Their  pronouns,  with  two  or  perhaps  three  exceptions,  are  Semitic.  The 
connection  between  Hausa  and  the  Semitic  languages — or,  what  here  comes 
to  the  same  thing,  between  Hausa  and  Arabic — is  far  closer  thau  can  be 
at  all  satisfactorily  explained  on  the  supposition  that  the  former  has  simply 
been  modified  by  the  latter,  as  the  result  of  the  spread  of  Mohammedanism 
in  the  country,  an  event  which  has  only  occurred  within  the  present  century. 
As  an  additional  reason  for  assuming  the  possibility  of  a  Semitic  origin  for 
the  language  may  be  mentioned  the  fixct  that  the  general  belief  of  the 
Hausa  people  is  that  in  very  early  times  their  ancestors  came  from  the  far 
east  away  beyond  Mecca.  The  difficulties  on  the  other  hand  in  the  way  of 
regarding  it  as  a  definitely  Semitic  language  are  very  great  if  not  insuper- 
able. Two-thirds  of  the  vocabulary  bears  no  resemblance  whatever  to  Arabic, 
the  harsh  guttural  sounds  of  the  Arabic  are  altogether  wanting,  and  the 
existence  of  triliteral  roots,  the  distinctive  characteristic  of  the  Semitic  lan- 
guages, is,  to  say  the  least,  extremely  doubtful. 

In  attempts  Avhich  have  been  made  to  classify  the  modern  languages 
of  Africa  it  has  been  the  usual  custom  to  place  those  as  yet  examined 
under  one  of  three  groups,  viz.  Semitic,  Hamitic  and  Bantu.  The  first 
includes  Arabip  and  Aethiopic ;  the  last,  a  large  number  of  languages  south 
of  the  equator,  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  group  being  the 
absence  of  gender  inflexion,  the  use  of  nominal  prefixes  for  the  purpose  of 
designating  class,  and  the  use  of  pronominal  prefixes. 

The  second  division,  the  Hamitic,  was  formerly  treated  as  a  sub- 
division of  the  Semitic,  though  it  is  now  generally  regarded  as  distinct  from 
it.  It  includes  Coptic,  Berber  and  probably  Hausa.  Possibly  the  Hottentot 
languages  of  South  Africa,  which,  unlike  the  Bantu  languages  by  which  they 
are  surrounded,  possess  a  regular  gender  inflexion,  bear  some  relation  to 
this   group. 

The  Hamitic  Group  of  languages. 

M.  Renan,  speaking  of  the  limits  of  this  group,  .says :  "  We  must  thus 
assign  the  Egyptian  language  and  civilization  to  a  distinct  family,  which  we 
may  call,  if  we  will,  Hamitic.  To  this  same  group  belong  doubtless  the 
non-Semitic  dialects  of  Abyssinia  and  Nubia.  Future  research  will  show 
Avhether,  as  has  been  conjectured,  the  indigenous  languages  to  the  north  of 
Africa,  the  Berber  and  the  Tuarek,  for  example,  which  appear  to  represent 
the  Libyan  and  ancient  Numidian,  ought  to  be  assigned  to  the  same  family.... 
It   appears   at   any   rate   as   the   result   of  the   latest   explorations   which    have 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

been  made  in  Central  Africa,  that  the  Tuarek  is  simply  Berber  apart  from 
Arabic  influence,  and  that  a  distinct  family  of  languages  and  peoples  extends 
in  Africa  from  the  Egyptian  oasis,  and  even  from  the  Red  8ea,  to  Senegal, 
and  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Niger*." 

Unfortunately  no  student  either  of  Berber  or  of  Coptic  has  as  yet  had 
the  opportunity  of  studying  Hausa.  I  am  myself  entirely  ignorant  of  Coptic 
and  possess  only  the  most  elementary  knowledge  of  Berber. 

The  Berber   language. 

Before  going  on  to  speak  of  the  structure  of  the  Hausa  language  it 
will  be  well  to  say  something  in  regard  to  the  origin  and  spread  of 
Berber. 

The  various  dialects  to  which  the  name  Berber  has  been  given  are 
spoken  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Africa  north  of  the  Sahara  and 
west  of  and  including  Tripoli.  They  include  the  Tuarek,  spoken  on  the 
borders  of  the  great  desert,  the  Kabyle  spoken  in  Algeria,  and  Guanche, 
the  language  which  was  in  use  in  the  Canary  Islands  at  the  time  of  the 
Spanish  conquest.  The  present  Berber  dialects  are  the  descendants  of  the 
ancient  Libyan  or  Numidian  which  once  prevailed  throughout  the  whole  of 
North  Africa,  to  which  S.  Augustine  referred  when  he  wrote  "  in  Africa 
barbaras  gentes  in  una  lingua  plurimas  novimus."  The  number  of  those 
who  speak  Berber  in  Algeria  at  the  present  time  is  860,000.  Berber  is 
usually  written  in  the  Arabic  characters,  but  traces  of  a  distinctive  alphabet 
are  to  be  met  with  amongst  certain  of  the  Tuareks  who  speak  a  dialect 
called  Tamashek.  This  original  alphabet,  which  bears  no  resemblance  to 
Arabic,  was  probably  at  one  time  common  to  all  the  Berber  dialects  and 
was  displaced  when  the  introduction  of  Mohammedanism  was  followed  by  the 
introduction  of  the  Koran  and  of  the  Arabic  characters. 

Grammatical   structure   of  Hausa. 

The  following  notes  on  the  grammatical  structure  of  the  Hausa  language 
may  perhaps  throw  some  light  on  its  connection  with  Berber  or  other  sur- 
rounding languages. 

The  genitive  in  Hausa  is  usually  denoted  by  n  or  na ;  thus  "  the  door  of 
the  house"  would  be  kofan  gidda  or  kofa  na  gidda.  This  method  of  forming 
the  genitive  is  common  to  both  Berber  and  Coptic. 

*  Historre  ties  Laiigues  Semitiques,  par  Ernest  Renan,  i.  2.  89. 


INTRODUCTION.  XUl 

Hausa  possesses  a  regular  gender  formation,  the  general  rule  being  that 
all  words  ending  in  a  are  feminine.  These  include  all  words  denoting  the 
female  sex,  in  addition  to  a  large  number  of  others  which  are  apparently 
treated  as  feminine  simply  because  they  end  in  a.  The  feminine  of  adjectives 
is  usually  formed  by  a  modification  of  the  termination,  thus  tsofo  "  old,"  fem. 
tsofua.  In  a  few  instances  the  Berber  method  of  forming  the  feminine  by 
prefixing  t  is  met  with,  thus  nagari  "good,"  fem.  tagari. 

The  noun-agent  in  Hausa  is  formed  in  a  manner  closely  resembling  the 
Arabic,  viz.  by  prefixing  ma  or  mai  to  a  verb,  substantive,  or  adjective. 
Thus  gudii  is  "to  run,"  maigudu  "a  fugitive";  gidda  "a  house,"  maigidda 
"  the  owner  of  a  house " ;  girima  "  great,"  maigirima  "  a  person  who  is  great." 
The  plural  of  such  words  is  formed  by  changing  mai  into  masa,  thus 
masugudu  "  fugitives." 

In  the  Semitic  languages  proper  the  verbal  stem  undergoes  a  series  of 
changes  by  the  addition  of  various  prefixes,  by  doubling  one  of  the  existing 
consonants,  or  by  modification  of  the  vowel  sounds.  In  this  way  some  fifteen 
voices  or  changes  of  meaning  resembling  voices  are  obtained.  In  the  Berber 
language  there  are  ten  such  voices,  though  the  changes  in  the  verbal  stem 
do  not  bear  any  close  resemblance  to  those  of  Arabic.  In  Hausa  there  appear 
to  be  traces  of  four  or  five,  but  with  one  exception,  viz.  the  formation 
of  the  passive  voice,  the  changes  in  the  sound  of  the  words  do  not  cor- 
respond to  any  uniform  changes  of  meaning.  The  passive  voice  in  Hausa 
is  formed  by  prefixing  a,  an  or  ana ;  thus  kama  is  "  to  catch,"  ankama 
"  to  be  caught."  There  is  nothing  to  correspond  to  this  form  either  in 
Berber  or  in  Coptic ;  but  it  bears  a  most  striking  resemblance  to  the  Vllth 
form  of  the  Arabic  and  to  the  Niphal  of  the  Hebrew,  both  of  which  are 
used  in  a  middle  or  reflexive  sense.  The  conjugation  of  the  Hausa  verb 
is  effected  not  by  any  change  or  modification  of  the  verbal  stem,  but  by 
prefixing  what  may  perhaps  be  called  verbal  pronouns,  which  are  the  same 
for  all  verbs.  Tims  fada  is  "  to  speak,"  zani  fada  "  I  will  speak,"  ina  fada 
"  I  am  speaking,"  nika  fada  or  nina  fada  "  I  have  spoken,"  etc.  These  verbal 
pronouns  are  probably  compounds  of  pronouns  with  some  auxiliary  verb  or 
verbs  all  clear  traces  of  which  are  now  lost. 

The  numerals  in  Hausa  are  apparently  formed  on  a  system  which  has 
ten  as  its  base, — a  fact  which  would  tend  to  show  that  in  very  early  times 
the  Hausas  were  much  more  civilized  than  their  neighbours.  All  the  other 
surrounding  languages,  which  I  have  been  able  to  examine,  have  five  as  a 
base.     In  Berber  the  base  was  originally  five,  though  at  present  for  numbers 


R.  H. 


>r 


xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

higher  than  four  it  employs  numerals  similar  to  the  Arabic.  Whether 
however  they  have  been  at  all  directly  borrowed  from  the  Arabic  is  at  least 
doubtful,  as  in  Guanche  (a  Berber  dialect  formerly  spoken  in  the  Canary 
Islands,  which  is  very  unlikely  to  have  borrowed  from  the  Arabic)  the 
numerals  5,  6,  7  and  8  are  obviously  Semitic.  Possibly  this  may  be  the 
result  of  intercourse  with  Phoenician  traders  in  very  early  times.  In  Fulah, 
Bornuese  and  Nupd,  the  three  most  important  languages  bordering  on  the 
Hausa,  the  numerals  are  formed  on  a  base  of  five ;  but  except  in  the  case 
of  the  higher  numerals,  which  have  been  obviously  borrowed  within  recent 
times  from  Arabic,  they  show  no  resemblance  to  the  Semitic  numerals.  In 
Hausa  there  is  an  original  system  of  enumeration  from  one  to  a  thousand, 
though  from  twenty  upwards  the  numbers  borrowed  from  the  Arabic  are 
those  most  commonly  used.  The  number  six  (shidda)  is  the  only  one  of  the 
original  numbers  which  closely  resembles  the  Arabic. 

The  personcd  pronoiins  in  Hausa  are  na  "I";  ka  '"thou,"  fem.  ki\  ski  or 
ya  "  he,"  ita  "  she  "  ;  nui  "  we  "  ;  ku  "  ye  " ;  su  "  they."  These,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  shi,  mu  and  su,  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  the  Arabic,  a  much 
closer  resemblance  moreover  than  they  bear  to  the  Berber.  Shi  is  the  same 
in  Bornuese  and  Hausa  and  has  probably  been  borrowed  by  the  latter  from 
the  former.  The  rest  of  the  pronouns  in  Bornuese,  as  well  as  those  in  Fulah 
and  Nupe,  show  no  similarity  to  those  in  Hausa  or  in  Arabic. 

In  addition  to  the  coincidences  above  enumerated,  it  may  be  observed 
that  the  Hausa  so,  which  means  "  time "  or  "  times "  when  connected  with  a 
numeral,  corresponds  with  the  Coptic  sop.  The  Hausa  fudu  "  four "  is  the 
Coptic  ftu,  and  the  Hausa  duhn  "  a  thousand "  may  perhaps  be  the  Coptic 
thha  meaning  "  ten  thousand." 

System  of  transliteration  adopted. 

The  system  of  transliteration  which  I  have  adopted  is  that  originally 
propounded  by  the  Royal  Geographical  Society.  It  has  been  sanctioned  by  the 
British  Government  and,  with  one  or  two  unimportant  modifications,  by  nearly 
all  the  Governments  of  Europe  for  the  representation  of  the  sound  of  geo- 
graphical names.  The  general  principle  of  the  system  is  this :  all  vowels 
are  pronounced  as  in  Italian,  all  consonants  as  in  English ;  every  letter 
is  pronounced,  no  redundant  letters  being  introduced.  I  give  here  a  table 
of  the  Hausa  letters   arranged  in  the  order  of  the  Arabic  alphabet. 


Uncon- 
nected 

Connected 

Connected 

Connected 

Names 

only  with  the 

on 

only  with  the 

Pronunciation  in  Hausa 

preceding 

both  sides 

following 

5       i 

Alif 

1 

I 

'^. 

Ba 

w' 

>i_^ 

A 

J 

English  1). 

£5 

Ta 

0 

Ws 

A 

3 

t. 

ELf 

Cha 

'^ 

^  A^ 

A 

J 

Soft  c/i  as  in  dmrch. 

0 

Jim 

z 

e 

a». 

a> 

English  j. 

Eli^ 

Hha 

c 

t 

^ 

^ 

Strong  It. 

%\L 

Cha 

t 

t 

a». 

- 

Hard  ch  as  in  Scotch  loch. 

J'^ 

Dal 

> 

J). 

English  d. 

0    ^ 

Zal 

> 

J^ 

,        z. 

'li 

Ra 

J 

> 

,        r. 

Za 

j 

> 

,        z,    pronounced     the 

same  as  y 

Otj**' 

Sin 

^ 

L/~ 

- 

M> 

,        s. 

Shin 

u^ 

*m 

Zj 

,        tih. 

iLo 

Scul 

c^ 

UA 

mA 

m9 

,        s,    pronounced     the 

0     ^ 

same  as  ^. 

il^ 

Dad 

u^ 

uA 

^ 

^ 

I. 

{\Ss 

Ta 

i» 

i:^ 

k 

1» 

,        ts  (sometimes  t). 

v^ 

Tsa 

a 

)^ 

Jiu 

i^ 

,        fti,  very  seldom  used 

0    0  • 

in  Hausa. 

Onj*^ 

Ain 

t 

t 

X 

C 

i>^ 

Ghain 

t 

t 

X, 

^ 

English  hard  rj. 

(\J 

Fa 

\^ 

\J>. 

A 

i 

English  /  (in  Hausa  tlie  dot 
is  often  written  below  in- 

stead of  above  the  letter). 

Jl5 

Kaf 

»3 

J- 

A 

5 

English  k  (in  Hausa  this  is 
often    written    with    only 

0        ^* 

one  dot). 

Ol^ 

Kaf 

J 

dl 

s: 

^ 

A',  pronounced  the  same  as  ^3- 

J><) 

Lam 

J 

J 

JL 

) 

English  I. 

>«-f 

Mim 

j> 

^ff 

•0" 

^ 

m. 

0       J 

Nun 

0 

c> 

A 

J 

„        n. 

'Ajt, 

Ha 

d 

A 

V 

A 

h,  pronounced  the  same  as  •.. 

3I3 

wa 

3 

9 

.    .    . 

English  w. 

^U 

Ya 

L^ 

C5 

A 

J 

„     y- 

XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

The  vowel  sounds  in  Hausa  are :  1.  Fatha,  pronounced  a  or  e ;  Kesre  7 
i  or  e ;  i  Dhamma  11  or  0.  The  Diphthongs  are :  (^-  ai,  pronounced  as  i 
in  ice ;  ^1   au,  pronounced  as  otu  in  cotv. 

The  reader  who  is  accjuaintcd  with  Arabic  will  observe  that  *t>  and  u«, 
which  represent  th  and  a  sort  of  palatal  d  respectively  in  Arabic,  are  pro- 
nounced ch  and  I  in  Hausa. 

In  transliterating  the  Hausa  into  English  I  have  represented  the 
following  letters  thus:  i  2,  u^  s,  ij6  I,  i}  k,  a  h.  In  each  case  the  dot 
placed  underneath  the  English  letter  does  not  represent  any  modification  of 
sound,  and  the  English  student  who  is  not  desirous  of  reading  the  original 
character  may  therefore  neglect  it.  That  no  variation  of  sound  is  intended 
may  be  seen  from  the  fact  that  the  letters  represented  by  zz,  ss,  II,  kk,  hh 
are  constantly  interchanged.  Compare  \Sjjfi-  guzuri  F  67  and  ^j:jJ^  guzuri 
F  68 ;  j^^^l^  gaskia  B  6Q  and  j^^^-a^  gaskia  B  37 ;  J^  fidula  C  36  and 
S^yas  fuliduwa  B  154;  U^j.£s  karkatta  D  31  and  c-^j.^  karkatta  D  32; 
^a.  himma  for  ^a   himma  E  42. 

J  k  and  «  h  are  comparatively  seldom  used  in  Hausa;  most  of  the 
words   in    which    they   occur   are   borrowed   from   Arabic. 

In  transliterating  Arabic  words,  which  can  in  no  way  be  regarded  as 
adopted  Hausa  words,  I  have,  at  the  cost  of  apparent  inconsistency  in  the 
method  of  transliteration,  represented  the  following  letters  thus :  ^  th,  u^  d 
^  t.  Thus  yjlf^  is  rendered  othnian  F  242;  O^y^j  ruhuanu  F  222;  h^ 
lotu  F  47.  These  words  are  pronounced  by  the  Hausas  as  they  would  be  in 
Arabic ;  to  transliterate  them  as  though  they  were  Hausa  words  would  there- 
fore be  to  give  the  reader  an  incorrect  impression  of  their  sound. 

In  the  case  of  Arabic  words  I  have  represented  c  by  ' :  thus  ^^sua  sa'uda 
F  191.  In  the  case  of  Hausa  words  I  and  c  are  used  simply  as  the  bearers 
of  the  vowel  sound.  Thus  the  feminine  personal  pronoun  is  spelt  indifferently 
Ul  or  wsfi ;   cf  A  14  and  A  36,  in  each  case  ita  appears  in  the  transliteration. 

According  to  the  general  principle  of  transliteration  which  I  have  adopted, 
an  attempt  has  been  made  to  reproduce  the  sound  of  the  words,  rather  than 
to  reproduce  each  separate  letter  of  the  original.  To  do  both  was  im- 
possible. Had  I  transliterated  each  several  letter  much  unnecessary  confusion 
would  have  been  caused,  the  confusion  being  due  to  the  lack  of  uniformity 
of  transcription  adopted  by  the  Hausa  scribe.  Thus  in  B  90  we  have  ^yloJ, 
m  B  95  j^5^lj ;  in  either  case  I  have  represented  the  actual  sound  of  the 
word  thus :  zamani. 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

In  a  few  instances  I  have  placed  an  accent  over  a  vowel  in  order  to 
indicate  that  the  emphasis  falls  on  a  particular  syllable.  As  however  this 
emphasis  differs  a  good  deal  in  different  localities  I  have  made  but  sparing 
use  of  such  accents. 

In  the  case  of  words  beginning  with  the  Arabic  article  I  have,  in 
accordance  with  the  principle  of  transliteration  explained  above,  represented 
the  word  as  pronounced  rather  than  as  spelt ;  thus  j-o-j&yJI  F  1  is  trans- 
literated erraJdnii  not  alrahimi. 

In  the  case  of  Arabic  words  which  occur  in  the  text  and  which  cannot 
be  regarded  as  adopted  Hausa  words,  I  have  usually  put  a  note  to  state 
that  such  is  the  case.  In  very  many  instances  it  will  be  noticed  that  in 
the  original  the  points  or  vowels  are  either  omitted  altogether  or  inserted 
wrongly.  In  these  cases  I  have  made  the  necessary  correction  for  the 
benefit  of  the  English  reader.  Words  which  are  spelt  differently  in  different 
parts  of  these  poems  I  have  as  a  rule  left  as  they  stand,  except  in  cases 
where  an  obvious  mistake  in  transcription  has  occurred.  The  many  apparent 
inconsistencies  in  spelling  which  will  be  noticed  by  the  English  reader  will 
be  found  to  be  due  to  the  idiosyncrasies  of  the  different  scribes,  whose  writing 
is  here  represented. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  books  on  the  Hausa  language  hitherto  published. 

Dr  Earth's  Travels  mid  Discoveries  in  North  and  Central  Africa,  1849 — 1855, 
publislied  in  five  volumes  in  1857,  republished  in  two  small  volumes  in  1890.  Dr 
Earth,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany,  went  out  as  assistant  to  Mr  Richardson, 
who  was  sent  by  the  Eritish  Government  to  explore  the  countries  lying  to  the 
south-west  of  the  Sahara.  On  the  death  of  Mr  Richardson  he  took  charge  of  the 
expedition  and  carried  it  to  a  successful  issue.  Though  written  in  a  somewhat 
uninteresting  style,  these  volumes  contain  a  vast  amount  of  information  not  only 
in  regard  to  the  Hausas,  but  also  in  regard  to  several  other  races  inhabiting  the 
Central  Soudan.  Incidental  notices  of  the  various  languages  met  with  are  intro- 
duced. In  1862  Dr  Earth  published  at  Gotha  a  work  of  much  more  interest 
from  the  linguistic  point  of  view,  Sammlung  und  Bearheitung  Central  Afrikanischer 
Vokabida7'ie7i,  consisting  of  notes  arranged  in  tabulated  form  on  ten  or  twelve 
African  languages,  including  Hausa.     This  work  is  now  out  of  print. 

Dr  J.  F.  Schon  (also  of  German  nationality),  though  never  able  to  visit 
any  part  of  Hausaland  proper,  spent  many  years  in  the  study  of  the  lan- 
guage, and  published  several  works  on  it,  including  a  dictionary,  a  grammar, 
and  some  Hausa  stories  taken  down  by  dictation  from  a  Eornuese  native  who 
had  learnt  Hausa.  These  last,  which  are  published  by  the  Society  for  Promoting 
Christian  Knowledge  under  the  title  of  AIaga7ia  Hausa,  afford  by  far  the  best 
material  hitherto  available  for  the  study  of  Hausa  in  England.  As  Dr  Schon 
speaks  of  himself  as  having  reduced  to  writing  a  hitherto  unwritten  language, 
it  is  evident  that  he  was  unaware  of  the  existence  of  any  Hausa  literature. 
Considering  the  extraordinary  difficulties  under  which  he  laboured  in  learning 
the  language,  his  work  is  deserving  of  great  commendation.  His  dictionary  has 
been  for  some  time  out  of  print,  but  his  grammar  may  still  be  obtained  from 
the  Church  Missionary  Society.  It  was  published  in  1862.  Dr  Schon  also 
published  translations  of  several  portions  of  the  Eible  in  Hausa,  but  these 
being  written  in  Roman  characters  and  in  very  unidiomatic  Hausa  will  require 
a  large  amount  of  correction  before  they  can  be  of  any  use. 

Dr  W.  E.  Eaikie,  who  was  for  many  years  consul  at  Lokoja,  collected  some 
materials  for  the  study  of  Hausa,  which  however  have  never  been  published. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.  XIX 

J,  Numa  Rat,  a  native  of  Jamaica  resident  on  the  Gold  Coast,  printed  in 
1889  a  short  introductory  grammar  of  the  Hausa  language  (Waterlow  and  Sons). 
It  is  very  short  and  badly  arranged,  but  would  be  of  some  use  to  any  one  begin- 
ning the  study  of  the  language. 

M.  le  Roux  published  at  Algiers  in  1886  Bssai  de  Dictionnaire  de  la  Langue 
Haoussa.  This  is  quite  the  worst  of  the  books  as  yet  published  on  the  language. 
It  consists  almost  as  much  of  Arabic  as  of  Hausa,  the  author  having  apparently 
no  tirst-hand  acquaintance  with  either. 

M.  A.  Dirr  published  at  Paris  in  1895  Manuel  'pratique  de  Langue  Ilaoussa, 
price  G  francs.  Though  the  author  has  never  apparently  been  in  any  part  of 
Hausaland,  this  is  the  best  granniiar  hitherto  published.  It  is  of  quite  an 
elementary    character   and    contains    exercises    and    a    short    vocabulary. 

The  works  on  the  Berber  language  whicli  I  have  consulted  are  Essai  de 
Grammaire  Kabyle,  by  M.  A.  Hanoteau,  Paris  1858;  Manuel  de  Langue  Kahyle,  by 
M.  Rene  Basset,  Paris  1887;  and  Kahail  Vocabtdary,  by  F,  W.  Newman,  publislied 
by   Trubner,    London    1887. 

I  may  perhaps  conclude  the  list  of  books  relating  to  Hausa  by  referring  to 
the  chapter  on  2'Ae  Hausa  Language  in  my  recent  work  entitled  Hausaland^  or 
Fifteen  Hundred  Miles  througlt,  the  Cejitral  Soudan  (Sampson  Low  and  Co.,  price  14/-). 


SPECIMENS 


OF 


HAUSA    LITEEATUEE. 


R.  H. 


POEM  A. 

lu  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful ;  and  may  the  peace   of 

God  be  upon  him,  after  whom  there  is  no  prophet. 
In    the    name    of  (Him    who    is)    the    beginning   (of  all    things),   and    with    the 

approval  of  Him  who   dwells   in   heaven,   send   help   unto   me    (so)   will   I 

endeavour  to  make  an  attempt. 
Our  talk  shall  be  judgment,  whereof  it  is  impossible  to  speak  fully ;   neverthe- 
less thou  sayest,  make  what  attempt  thou  canst. 
It  will  be  a  day  of  lamentation  and  much  crying,  a  day  on  which  there  shall  be  no 

salvation,  though  a  hundred  thousand  cowries  be  offered  as  the  price  thereof. 
5  All  ye  my  brothers,  come,  let    us    listen   to  the  proclamation;    all  ye   who  are 

Mussulmans,  for  I  care  not  for  the  heathen. 
He  (a  heathen)  would  hear  what  I  say  and  woidd  pay  no  attention  to  it,  he 

would  merely  lift  up  his  chin  and  bray  like  an  ass; 
He  doubts  the  existence  of  pain  in  the  next  world;  when  he  comes  to  the  fire 

he  will  say  Alas ! 
Thou  who  art  puffed   up  with  pride  because  of  thy  relations,  thy  kingdom,   or 

thy  property,  on  the  day  when  thou   meetest  with  the  angels,  thou  shalt 

be  confounded. 
(Think  of)  that  story  of  Hamza  and  his  brother,  one  by  one  they  went  to  (the 

place  of)  the  unbelievers. 

This  poem  is  said  to  have  been  reduced  to  writing  by  a  Hausa  Mallam  named 
ijjjuj  \^  Lima  Chidia,  who  died  about  30  years  ago.  Chidia,  the  place  at  which 
he  lived,  lies  between  Kano  and  Garimbautshi.  It  is  a  funeral  song  frequently  sung 
over  graves  by  Mallams.  It  consists  of :  Introduction  1,  2 ;  a  warning  in  view  of  the 
judgment  to  come  3 — 9  ;  a  comparison  between  this  world  and  the  next  10 — 22  ;  the 
duties  of  women  23 — 33 ;  conditions  of  entrance  into  heaven  34 — 48  ;  and  into  hell 
49 — 62  ;  various  religious  duties  to  be  observed  63 — 76 ;  description  of  the  resurrec- 
tion 77 — 85. 

1.  A  common  Arabic  opening,  cf.   F  1. 

2.  L»..>.^  maisama^    from    Ar.   l^^   sama  "  heaven "  with  Hausa  nominal  prefix. 
zan^  a  frequent  abbreviation  for  zani,  cf.  ban  for  bani. 

3.  \j^i^  maikdra']  lit.  "finisher,"  from  \^j^  kari  "to  finish."     Words  ending  in 
«  are  with  few  exceptions  feminine,   hence  we  have  nata  not  nasa. 

jkij*  goryodo]    "measure,"    more    often   written   jJdi-  golgodo.     For  similar  inter- 
change of  letters,  cf.  hiar  and  bial,  kirga  and  kilga. 


POEM  A. 

Bismi  allahi  errahmani  errahimi  wa  salla  allahu  ala  man  la  luibiyi  ba'dahu 

Bismi  na  filra  da  yerdan  maisama  ka  yi  taimako  a  gareni  zan  tabba  kokari 

Zanchen  kiyama  babii  maikdra  nata  saiko  ka  che  ka  yi  gorgodonka  na  kokari 

Rana  ya  ki  kuka  da  ruri  maiyawa  rana  da  ba  cheto  kudinsa  dubu  dari 

5  Duk  ya  iiwana  duk  ku  zo  mu  ji  waatsi  kulu  musilmi  ba  riia  alkafiri 

Shi  ni  shi  kan  ji  fada  ta  bay  a  kunuwa  saidai  shi  tdda  haba  yi  jaki  berbera 

Shi  ni  shi  ki  shakka  azaba  lakhira  sai  ya  gamu  da  wuta  yi  kan  che  kaitaro 

Mayenka  deggi  ko  sarota  dukia  rana  ganiii  da  nialaiku  ka  sadari 

Wonan  kardtu  hamza  ni  da  kani  nasa  sii  suka  daidaiche  shikin  alkafirai 


4.  The   verb   is  here,   as  frequently   elsewhere,   put    in   the  present  tense   though 
its  meaning  is  obviously  future. 

5.  ^_^  ya]  should  be  ^  yau  "children";  ymi  is  used  as  a  sort  of  irregular  plural 
of  dan. 

\^j  U  ba  rua]   lit.    "there  is  no  water,"  a   Hausa  idiom  for  "I  have  no  care  for." 

6.  lit.   "he  would  hear  behind  his  ears";   yi  is  here  equivalent  to   kama  "as"; 
in  the  following  line  yi  is  used  for  shi. 

7.  Ij^U  lakhira]  "the  future  state,"  including  both   heaven  and  hell. 
IjjiA  kaitaro]   "alas,"  a  lengthened  form  of  kaito. 

8.  The  meeting  with   the  angels  is  probably  that  described   in    D  41 — 4G. 

9.  Hamza]   a  king  of  Ningi,  not  far  from  Kano  :   iielped  l)y  the  heathen  he  made 
an  unsuccessful  attack  upon  Kano. 

^^^^Xi>  shiki)t]  should    be  ^^jSLj  chikin. 


A    lo  This   life  is   a   sowing   time    for  the   future   life,  everyone  who   sows  corn   will 

receive  a  great  city. 
That  morning  shall  heap  up  for  you  tobes  and  trousers  and  things  good  to  eat, 

such  as  tuo  and  fura. 
When  thou  sittest  down  thou  shalt  taste  of  its  sweetness,  whenever  thou  sippest 

water  thou  wilt  know  (that  one  of  thine  enemies)  is  dead. 
This  world  is  like  a  room  where  we  see  ropes  set  up  (for  weaving)  and  thread 

is  placed  ready. 
This  world,  thou  knowest,   is   old ;    an   old   man   cannot   carry   a   load   without 

leaving  much  behind, 
rs  This  world,  thou  knowest,  is   a   market-place;  everyone  comes   and   goes,  both 

stranger  and  citizen. 
They  read  (of  what  was  to  come)  but  refused  the  choice  of  the  next  world,  though 

the  world  {lit.  house)  is  old  and  like  unto  an  old  man  who  drops  his  load. 
If  thou  wilt  hold  it  fast  put  forth  thy  left  hand  and  hold  it,  (it  will  slip  from 

thy  hold)  although  thou  put  both  thy  hands  on  it  for  fear  of  losing  it. 
This  world  is  a  sowing  place  for  the  next,  all  who  sow  good  deeds  shall  enter 

the  great  city. 
This  is  the  story  of  Hamza  and  of  Ahmadu ;  they  left   the   right   path,   they 

followed  one  which  was  crooked. 
20  The  Mallams  are  the  heirs  of  the  prophets ;  we  ought  to  take  their  road,  a  road 

which  leads  to  heaven  {lit.  the  city). 
They   (the   heathen)   know  but   the   difference   between  white   and   black,  they 

are  all  at  strife ;   how  can  such  men  act  like  Mallams  ? 
Their  portion  shall  be  the  fire,  they  shall  have  but  little  to  eat;   they  left  the 

right  path,  they  followed  one  that  was  crooked. 
-     It  has  been  said  that  men  should  gather  within  the  house  and  remain  at  home, 

that  they  should  not  allow  their  wives  to  walk  in  the  town. 


10.  Ol  ita\  is  properly  the  feminine  personal  pronoun,  but  is  here  frequently 
used  as  a  demonstrative ;  it  is  sometimes  written  wsfr  ita,  e.g.   line  36. 

11.  j^^*^  'mayafi]  is  an  adjective  formed  by  prefixing  1»^  max  to  the  verb 
^  b  ya  fi  "it  surpasses."  ^J^  mafi  is  sometimes  prefixed  to  an  adjective  in  order 
to  form  a  comparative  or  to  strengthen  the  positive;  thus  mafi  ku7icheti  "narrower" 
or  "  very  narrow." 

12.  O-e^  kanmi]  or  ^^^  kmn,  cf.  line  64,  is  equivalent  to  (JJ^  kadan. 
{^jJi^\  agdyigari]  lit.   "is  rolled  down."     The  sense  is  somewhat  obscure. 

13.  God  is  here  described  as  the  weaver  of  all  events, 

15.  i^j*J>  dangari']  lit.  "son  of  the  town";  cf.  dandaki  "son  of  the  house," 
i.e.  servant. 

1^'  L5>t5-»  maiberri^  lit.  "one  who  leaves";  it  is  an  epithet  applied  to  a  carrier 
who  keeps  putting  down  his  load. 


5 

A     10  Ita  dunia  nana  che  manc^mi  a  lakhira  kowa  ya  nonii  hatsi  ya  kai  baban  gari 

Ita  che  (la  safi  ta  kan  hada  niaka  riguna  wando  mayafi  ga  abinchi  tuo  fiira 

Kamin  kazona  zaka  sha  dadi  nata  kami  ka  kurbata  ka  ji  woni  agdngari 

Ita  dunia  nana  da  kamal  daki  ta  ki  da  nui  ga  ankdfa  ragaia  ajia  zari 

Ita  dunia  nana  tsofua  che  kun  sanni  tsofo  ba  yin  kaia  ba  sai  daiawa  berri 

IS  Ita  dunia  na  kasua  che  kun  sanni  kowa  ya  zo  ya  wuche  da  bako  dangai'i 

Su  sun  karatu  su  zabi  lakhira  saidai  gidda  da  ya  tsofo  tsofo  maiberri 

En  zaka  jirfata  sa  hagu  da  ka  jirfata  kaddadai  ka  tara  hanuka  don  tsoro  berri 

Ita  dunia  nana  che  manomi  a  lakhira  janida  manan  guzuri  shigga  babba  gari 

Wona  karatu  hamza  ni  da  na  ahmadu  sun  sau  tafarki  sun  bi  wodda  ya  fantsari 

20  Su  ni  magada  anabawa  mallamai  wajib  mu  do  haiasu  wanda  ta  je  gari 

Sun  san  fari  sun  san  baki  duka  sun  fada  kaka  su  ki  aiki  taada  mallamai 

Da  rabo  wuta  nama  jiki  nasa  kankanni  sun  sau  tafarki  sun  bi  wanda  ta  fixndari 

Anche  sukintsa  tsakka  giddansu   suna  kaddadai  su  ber  matasu   yawo   chikin 
tsari  pfari 


18.  jj>i*  jnanaTi]  should  be  ^^^^^  manomi  "one  who  sows." 
{^jj^  yuzur%\  lit.   "  provisions  for  the  way." 

19.  wona  kardhi\  cf.  line  9  wonan  karatu. 
Ahmad)i\    the    brother    of    Hamza,    cf.   line  9. 

(^^pa^  fantsari]   in   line    22   j^j  jUi  fandari  "  crooked." 
j(3  ivodda]  more  commonly  juj  iranda ;   so  line  22. 

20.  j>  do]  a  shortened  form  of  ^^3  doka  "  to  take  " ;  cf.  dn  for  duka  "  all." 
haiasu]  should  be  hainyasu. 

21.  The  duties  of  a  Mallam  are  to  teach  and  expound  the  Koran,  also  to  chant 
songs  over  the  dead.     The  word  comes  from  Ar.  ^o^  allam  "  to  teach." 

22.  lit.  "the  meat  of  their  body  shall  be  little." 


6 

A        Farm-work  is  not  becoming  for  a  wife,  you    know ;    she    is   free,  you  may  not 

put  her  to  hoe  grass  (as  a  slave). 
25  A  woman  that  is  married  gives  up  going  to  three  places :  the  market,  a  public 

feast  and  the  place  of  drawing  water. 
If  thou   hast   not   a  boy   to   take   her  pitcher,   do   thou  endeavour  to  escort  her 

to  the  water  in  the  evening. 
If  she   desires  to  go  to  their  houses,  let   her  ask  her  husband ;   grant  her  per- 
mission provided  she  go  in  the  evening. 
Let   her  take   a  cloth   as   a    covering    for    her   body,    let    her    crouch    thus  with 

arms  folded  until  the  conversation  is  ended. 
When  she  replies  let  her  lower  her  voice  in  speaking ;    let  her  not   be    heard 

calling  fowls,  speaking  with  wide-opened  mouth. 
30  You  know  that  no  part  of  a  woman's  body  ought  to  be  seen  when  she  goes 

out,  except  the  soles  of  her  feet  and  her  eyes. 
The   married  woman  who   goes   out  with    head  uncovered,   on   the   day   of  the 

resurrection  the  fire  shall  burn  her ; 
The    mamed   woman  who   goes   out    with    head    uncovered,   on    the    day  of  the 

resurrection  shall  be  covered  with  a  blanket  of  fire. 
If  a  woman  be  in  love  with  two  men,  they  shall  suffer  loss  in  the  next  world ; 

on  the  day  of  the  resurrection  they  shall  rise  in  the  form  of  dogs. 
He   who   rejects   a   Mallam   and   his   sayings   shall   be   in   the   presence   of  the 

Prophet  as  a  heathen. 
35  He  who  fasts  but  at  the  same  time  eats  in  secret,  I  have  no  doubt  but  that 

you  may  call  him  a  heathen. 
This  world  has  been  called  a  sowing  time  for  the  next,  all  who  sow  good  deeds 

shall  enter  the  great  city. 
Whoever  is  stingy  and  rejoices  in  being  so,  the  abode  of  fire  shall  be  opened 

for  him  because  of  his  stinginess. 
Whoever  opens  the  abode  of  fire   by  his  stinginess  will   contract  an  incurable 

disease. 


24.  bai]  a  shortened  form  of  ba  yi.  The  position  occupied  by  women  in  the 
Hausa  States  is  probably  a  better  and  freer  one  than  in  any  other  nominally 
Mohammedan  country.     Even  a  woman  slave  is  seldom  made  to  work  in  the  ɓelds. 

j^  kar\  a  shortened  form  of  j^  kadda. 

25.  ^Ji>  buki'\  or  biki  is  properly  a  marriage  feast. 

27.  Si^>  ktida]  apparently  equivalent  to  ^^  khar  "as  far  as." 

28.  (^  tan\  for  ta  na,  zani  being  feminine. 

ImicJ  luluhi\  is  "a  woman's  cloth  or  veil "  used  to  cover  the  head  and  the  upper 
portion  of  the  body. 

29.  ^««Jl  anso\   for  y.,„^\  amso  or  amsa   "  an  answer," 


7 

A         Noma  ga  mata  bai  kainata  ba  kun  sani  kan  yar  gidda  chc  kar  ka  sata  a  kaukari 

25  Mata  da  ki  suna  ta  ber  taffia  iiku  daga  kasiia  khar  gunbuki  doka  rua 

Kan  ba  ka  yaro  za  ya  do  tulu  nata  ka  yi  kokari  rakia  rua  a  chikiu  derri 

Kuda  giddansu  ta  ki  so  ta  yi  tanbaia  ka  bata  yerji  sai  ta  je  a  chikin  derri 

Ta  do  zani  tan  lulubi  a  jiki  nata  a  jikinta  har  magana  ajita  atatari 

Anso  ta  kass  muria  chikin  magana  nata  kaddadai  ajita  yi  sagara  kirkira 

30  Kana  jikin  mache  duk  yi  alaura  ya  ki  sai  ko  matakai  sai  ido  dagga  gari 

Mata  da  ki  taffia  da  kai  nata  ba  rufi  rana  kiama  kan  wuta  ta  babaki 

Mata  da  ki  taffia  da  kai  nata  ba  rufi  rana  kiama  ta  rufu  a  bergo  wuta 

Amusan  mutum  biu  sun  hasara  a  lakhira  rana  kiama  zasu  tashi  kaman  kari 

Wonan  da  ki  ki  malarni  da  fada  tasa  shi  ni  yi  ki  gabba  da  anabi  kafiri 

35  Wonan  da  ki  azumi  aboyyi  shi  kan  taba  ni  babu  na  shakka  ku  che  masa  kafiri 

Ita  di'mia  nana  che  masomi  a  lakhira  jamaa  manan  guzurin  shigga  babban  gari 

Kowa  ya  ki  rowa  yana  murna  nata  chi  ni  ya  bude  giddan  wuta  don  gerdama 

Kowa  ya  budi  giddan  wuta  don  gerdama  ya  tarda  chuta  wanda  da  ta  makankara 


30.     O^  kana\    j«w  sani   is  understood,   "thou  knowest "  ;    cf.   45,   52,  where  it 
is  equivalent  to  "  truly." 

32.  Ijij   7-u/it'\      Instead    of    prefixing   a   the    passive    is    occasionally    formed    by 
changing  the  last  vowel  into  71 ;  thus  ruji  "  to  cover,"  riifu  "  to  be  covered." 

33.  The  dog  is  generally  regarded  as  the  most  despicable  of  all  animals. 

34.  ^Sj  yi  A;i]   for  ^S^  shi  ki.      Mohammed,   it  is  supposed,   will   act  as  judge 
at  the  last  day  to  distinguish  his  owu  followers  from  the  heathen. 

36.  A  repetition   of  line   18. 

37.  Uj  yana]  equivalent  to  Uj!  ina  or  t^w  shina. 

38.  lit.   "he  will  meet  with  a  disease  which  has  no  one  to  rub  it  out." 


8 

A        Whoever  chooses  this  world  rejects  the  choice  of  the  next,  he  seizes  one  cowrie 

but  loses  two  thousand  cowries. 
40  God  is  gi'eat,   He  displays  much  generosity ;    in  the  abode  of  the  resurrection 

He  will  act  as  a  patient  man. 
Of  a  hundred  thou  hast  left  one  in  this  world,  there  are  ninety-nine  there  in 

the  next  world. 
He  who  has  one  sickness  here,  you  know,  will  have  ninety-nine  there. 
This  is  the  reason  why  we   are  rich ;    if  anyone  gives   another  to  eat  he    shall 

obtain  deliverance  in  the  next  world. 
Whatever  you  have  given  away  here   you  will    meet  with  in  the   next  world ; 

you  will  obtain  riches  which  will  be  free  from  the  attacks  of  mice,  much 

more  of  ants. 
45  Truly  there  are    three   strangers   in    heaven,  whatever   they  desire   they  see   it 

brought  to  them. 
One   of  these   gave   alms   and   showed   much   generosity,  he   used  to  pray  and 

make  adoration  in  the  evening. 
The   second   was   a   man   who   showed   honour   to   his   parents,  and   maintained 

friendship  with  his  brethren  in  the  city. 
The  third  was  a  man  who  excelled  them  in  declaring  the  unity  of  God;  what- 
ever happened  to  him  he  said.  It  is  the  Lord  (who  hath  done  it). 
A  certain  king  shall  bum  in  the  other  world  unless  he  repent  and  drink  the 

water  of  heaven. 
50  The   king  also  who  ever   spake   deceitfully,  except   he   repent   shall    not   drink 

of  the  water  of  heaven. 
All  his  children  and  his  slaves  who  do  likewise,  if  he  restrain  them  not,  shall 

be  confined  within  the  fire. 
Truly   there   are   three   men   who   shall   burn   in   the   next   world,   except   they 

repent  and  drink  the  water  of  heaven. 
The  first  is  the  man  who  prayed  with  his  body  polluted ;  if  he  repent  not  you 

will  meet  him  in  company  with  the  heathen. 


39.  wsj'i  zdbata]  ta  agrees  with  l-Jji  diinia,  which  is  understood. 

40.  [^j-f^'O  scihiri]   "patient,"  from   Ar.  j^-d   "to  be  patient." 

41.  The    meaning   apparently   is  that  for  the  good   or  evil  actions  performed  in 
this  world  a  man  will  be  repaid  ninety-nine-fold  in  the  next. 

43.  ^.^-s->'  shiyes]  should  be  ^jm^  ckiyes  "gives  to  eat." 

44.  lit.   "treasures  where  no  mouse  is,  much  less  eating  of  ants." 

47.  l».ji  darajd]  from  Ar.   a^^^  darajah  "rank,  dignity." 

48.  kXA».jj    tauhidt\    "profess   unity   of";    II.   form    of   Ar.    jiA.3    tvahid    "to  be 
one." 


9 

A         Kowa  ya  zabata  ya  ki  zabc  a  lakhira  shi  ni  ya  doki  wuri  ya  ber  hauya  darri 

40  Allah  taala  ya  yi  baiwa  maiyawa  a  giddaii  kiyama  sai  luutum  essabiii 

A  chikia  darri  daia  ka  berta  a  dunia  tisfi'in  tana  chan  a  lakhira  da  guda  tdra 

Ita  madaia   na(n)  dammuna    che    kun  tisa'in   tana    chan    a    lakhira   da   guda 
sani  tdra 

Ita  che  dalili  samuwa  muna  dunia  kowa  ya  shiyes  ya  sainu  tsira  a  lakhira 

Komi  ka  baiyer  ka  isheshi  a  lakhira  ajia  da  ba  bira  bale  tausangara 

45  Kana  mutun  uku  ni  baturi  a  lakhira  konii  su  ki  so  sai  su  ganshi  atatari 

Wonan  da  ki  sadaka  da  baiwa  maiyawa  sai  maisallati  maiibada  da  derri 

Nabiusu  wanda  ya  ba  iyayi  daraja  da  rukun  zumunchi  ya  uwa  a  chikin  gari 

Naukunsu  wanda  ya  fisu  tauhidi  duka  komi  ya  sa  masa  sai  ya  che  rabba  alwara 

Sarki  guda  daia  zayi  kona  a  lakhira  saiko  da  tuba  zayi  sha  alkauchara 

50  Sarki  da  ki  ku(a)  che  da  tsalimchi  duka  en  babu  tuba  babu  sha  alkauchara 

Yayansa  nan  baiyinsa  na  yi  su  duka  enbai  hannasuba  ahaddasu  chikkin  wuta 

Kana  mutun  uku  zasu  kone  a  lakhira  saiko  da  tuba  zasu  sha  alkauchara 

Wonan  da  ki  salla  gama  janaba  jikka  kam  babu  tuba  ku  gamashi  da  kafiri 


^^j^JI  alwarct]  Meaning  obscure,  it  is  perhaps  intended  foi"  ^^i^\  (ilimlia  "  tlie 
patron"  or  "benefactor,"  or  ahvara  may  be  a  rare  Arabic  woi'd  meaning  "mankind"; 
for  this  meaning  of  the  word,  of.  Sadi's  Bustan  (ed.  Graf)  Introd.  line  85;  in  this 
case  translate  "He  is  Lord  of  mankind." 

49.  j^jJ^^I  alkauchara^  Kauchara  according  to  the  Koran  is  the  name  of  the 
principal  river  in  Paradise. 

51.  i«!^J  '>^a  yi\  na,  which  is  usually  placed  between  two  nouns,  one  of  which 
is  dependent  upon  the  other,  is  here  made  to  join  the  verb  to  the  pi-oceding  noun. 
We  should  have  expected  masuyi. 

^j>)\^^  ahaddasu^  from   Ar.   jkA>  luidd  "to  confine,"   or   "punish." 

R.  H.  2 


10 

A        The  second  is  the  man  who  always  performed  his  ablutions  with  sand,  though 

there  was  no  reason  for  his  doing  so ;  he  shall  not  drink  of  the  water  of  heaven, 
55  The  third  was  a  man   whose   crimes  were  worse   than  any  of  theirs,  he   was  a 

man  who  constantly  committed  adultery  within  the  city. 
If  there  is  no  purity  there  is  no  prayer,  as  you  know;  if  there  is  no  prayer 

there  is  no  drinking  of  the  water  of  heaven. 
About  this  saying  there  is  no  uncertainty ;   whoever  rejects  it,  leave  him  alone 

that  he  may  become  a  heathen. 
In  heaven  three  men  will  be  wanting,  for  they  rejected  the  right  way  and  followed 

one  that  was  crooked. 
The  first  is  a  man  who  gave  half  his  attention  to  the  worship  of  idols;    above 

there  is  a  judge  mighty  and  powerful. 
60  The    second   is   a   man   who    was   a   bastard,   and   had   no    father ;    his    mother 

followed  a  crooked  path. 
The   third   is   a   man  who   excelled    them   all   in  evil,  he   refused  to  pray  five 

times  (a  daj^). 
Whoever  omits  the  times  (of  prayer)  passes  away  and  is  destroyed,  unless  there 

be  some  obvious  cause. 
If  there  be  no  water  thou  must    then  wash  with  sand  in  the  city  unless  pre- 
vented by  serious  sickness. 
When  thou  hast  much  toil,  when  thou  hast  much  business,  at  the  time  of  prayer 

leave  it  or  otherwise  it  will  go  wrong, 
65  God    may   give   thee   prosperity   to   try   whether   thou    wilt   leave    the   time   of 

prayer  till  it  is  obviously  past. 
When  such  an  one  shall   die    he   shall   be   struck  with  blows,  so  too  he   shall 

be  thirsty  though  he  drink  of  five  streams. 
When  thou  anointest  his  face  with  utter  darkness,  his  tomb  shall  be  narrowed 

even  as  the  night. 
Purity  is  necessary,  as  thou  knowest,  for  one  who  prays;  his  body,  his  garment, 

his  place  (of  prayer  must  be  clean). 
There  are  eighteen  religious  duties ;  pious  men,  we  understand,  perform  fifteen 

(in  addition), 

54,  ^«^-J  faimama]  from  Ar.  ^^  yumm  V.  forru.  Ablutions  are  only  permitted 
to  be  made  with  sand  where  water  is  unprocurable. 

58.  iU  i/dda]  another  form  of  ju^j  yesda  "to  throw  aside." 

59.  |J>5C^  hukuii]  from  Ar.  ^^^^^  hakim  "a  judge,"  m  being  changed  into  n,  as 
frequently  happens  before  ^  ch. 

60.  lit.  "the  second  of  them  a  bastard  who,  there  is  no  father  to  him,  he,  his 
mother  she  follows  that  which  is  crooked."  This  line  affords  a  good  example  of 
Hausa  construction,  which,  as  will  be  seen,  closely  resembles  the  Arabic. 

64.  j^jjUo  mfidari]  apparently  the  same  word  as  ^jJuj  sadari,  line  8,  from 
Ar.  jju»  sadr  "to  be  perplexed." 


11 

A         Wonan  da  kan  rika  taimama  wakti  duka  kain  babu  huja  ka  che  masa  kafiri 

55  Naukunsu  wanda  ya  fisu  lailinsu  duka  wonan  da  kan  like  yin  zina  a  chikin  gari 

Kam  babu  tsarki  babu  salla  kun  sani  kam  babu  salla  babu  shan  alkauchara 

Ima  feda  nana  babu  na  shakka  tata  kowa  ya  kita  ka  bershi  ya  zama  kafiri 

A  chikin  giddan  aljenna  babu    mutun  sun   yada   ha(i)nya   sun    bi    wanda   ya 
uku  fandari 

Wonan  da  ki  tsafi  shina  raba  hankula  a  bisa  hukun  che  maiiyawa  kaderi 

60  Nabiyisu  sheggi  wanda  babu  uba  nasa  shi  ni  uwa  tasa  ta  bi  wanda  ta  fandari 

Naukunsu  wanda  ya  fisu  laifinsu  duka  shi  ya  ki  salla  wakti  nana  su  biar 

Kowa  ya  ber  lotu  ya  shudi  ya  bata  saiko  da  huja  wanda  ki  ga  tsahiri 

Kam  ba  rua  saiko  da  chiuta  maiyawa  rananankawajaba  taimama  a  chikin  gari 

Ranan  kaddan  wahallan  kani  ya  shagal  lotu  da  ki  salla  ka  bershi  ya  sandari 
maka 

65  Allah  ya  kan  gamma  arzikinka  da  jaraba  a  bisa  berri  loto  ya  shudi  tsahira 

Rana  da  zai  mutu  kan  wulakanta  massa  hakkana  kishirua  ko  ya  sha  kogi  biar 

Rana  ka  shafa  diifu  kirim  huska  tasa  hakkana  ya  kumtata  kabarinsa  kamman 

derri 

Tsarki  ga  maisalla  ku  san  wajib  ya  ki  da  zua  jikinsa  zua  tufansa  zua  wuri 

Farilai  ga  salla  goma  ni  da  guda  tokkos  suna  da  ki  yi  mun  ji  sun  fadi  sha  biar 


66.  \2^[i^  widakaiikt]  probably  from  Ar.   jy^  ivalaka  "to  strike  blows." 

67.  "Anointing  the  face  with  darkness"  refers  to  the  sprinkling  of  earth  upon  a 
corpse. 

l^>»^  huskct]  for  \SL^ /uska  "countenance";  for  similar  interchange  of  lettei's  cf. 

la^s  /uja  for  la».^  huja. 

69.     i->^jS /a7-ilai'\  from  Ar.  u^jS  "a  religious  duty." 

j^   Iw  sha  biar^  goma  "  ten "  is  omitted  before  sha;  this  is  frequently  done  in  the 
numerals  11  to  19. 


12 

A    70  There  are  ten  more  good  works,  you  know  (to  be  done),  in  order  that  you  may 

excel  your  friend ;  he  surpasses  whoever  meets  him  in  confessing  his  fixults. 
Is  it  necessary,  dost  thou  ask,  that  thou  shouldst  perform  thy  ablutions  ?     There 

is  but  one  way  for  thee  to  follow. 
Thou  must  take  care  before  eating  to  say,  "  God  is  great." 
But  thou  must  not  eat  before   saying    the    opening  chapter  of  the  Koran;   do 

not  pass  over  its  contents  or  miss  a  word  in  saying  it. 
Whoever  omits  to  read  the  opening  chapter  has  broken  the  leg  of  his  war-horse. 
75  Whoever  prays,  but  refuses  to  say  the  opening  chapter,  is  as  a  man  sewing  a 

white  garment  withovit  thread. 
It  is  like  earth  when  you  desire  to  build ;  if  there  is  no  water  to  mix  with  it, 

your  earth  is  dry. 
He  who  doubts  the  resurrection  in  the  future  world  let  him  consider  how  the 

grain  that  is  in  the  ground  grows  up. 
On   the   day   when   the   sounder   of   the    trumpet   shall    sound,   behold    a   man 

pouring  the  earth  off  him. 
On  the  day  when  the  sounder  of  the  trumpet  shall  sound  you  will  see  a  man 

commg  out  of  the  earth. 
80  On  that   day  the  skull  shall  become  hot  on  the  man  who  is  a  blasphemer,  a 

heathen. 
Everyone  shall  rise  naked,  and  shall  utter  a  cry  of  joy ;  he  shall  be  uncircumcised 

as  a  little  child. 
Thou   wizard  who  wast  possest  of  wealth  in  this  world,   thou  shalt  not  obtain 

wealth  like  Abubekr. 
He  will   receive   wealth,  he  who  was  the  messenger  of  the   Prophet ;    he   gave 

all  offerings  and  gifts  to  his  followers. 
Let  us  go  to  the  city  where  we  shall  eat  without  trouble  of  grinding;   thou 

wilt  not  see  any  blowing  underneath  cooking  pots  in  the  whole  city. 
85  You  will  obtain  a  reward  according  to  the  character  of  your  actions  on  earth, 

you  will  come  to  meet  with  these  actions  in  the  next  world. 

70.  OwAtoJUM.«  vnistahahanta\  from  Ar.  w^Sfc-^^^^xo  mustahahh  "  a  supererogatory 
good  work";  the  word  is  usually  applied  by  the  Hausas  to  the  act  of  bending  down 
and  exclaiming  "Allah  akbar,"  /arilai,  in  the  preceding  line,  being  to  hold  up  the  hand 
and  say  the  same  words. 

71.  \1^  Jisata]  equivalent  to   tju.J^^  fitasda  "to  complete." 

72.  J  ".^  kahhar'\  the  IT.  form  of  the  Ar.  j««^  kabar  "to  say  Allah  akbar." 

73.  ly-^  1^1  i^na  tukunchi]   equivalent  to   UJC5   tot  anwia  tukuna. 

\ji^  chinyara]  "to  skip  words  in  reading,"  lit.  "to  eat  like  ants"  (gara),  i.e. 
leaving  spaces  here  and  there  untouched. 

75.  ^^J^  fart]  understand  zani  "a  white  cloth." 

76.  All  building  in  Hausaland  is  done  with  moistened  mud ;  withoiit  water 
building  would  therefore  be  impossible. 


13 


A    7>J  Mustahabanta  gonia  ku   saiKSU   clou   ku 
wuchi  sa'a 

Wajib  ka  tanbaiyi  alwalanka  ka   tisata 
Aniyar  ka  wajib  chi  dafari  ka  dokata 
Ima  tukunchi  dafari  abachi  fatiha 

Kowa  ya  ki  bcnia  karatu  fatiha 
75  Kowa  ya  ki  salla  shina  ki  fatiha 
Tanfari  kasa  che  ka  kana  so  kai  gini 
Wonan  da  ki  shakka  da  tashi  a  lakhira 

Rana  da  maibusa  ya  busa  kafo  nasa 
Rana  da  maibusa  ya  biisa  kafo  nasa 

80  Rana  kokulwa  kanua  tafassa  suka  yi 
Kowa  tsirara  za  yi  tashi  yina  gudu 
Mayi  ka  saniu  diikia  achikinta 
Shi  ni  ya  samata  duk  ya  nialaka  annabi 
Amuje  gari  da  niuka  chi  ba  wahalla  nika 

85  Ku  ku  chin  halli  da  ka  aikata  na  diinia 


kowa  ya  samasa  ya  fikowa  hanizari 

ita  chc  tafarki  na  da  kan  bi  ita  daia 

a  bisa  fadin  kabbar  ga  allah  akbar 

kadda  dai  ka  ratsa  chikinta  kai  mata 
chingara 

shi  ni  ya  karia  kafa  ga  doki  rnaihari 

shi  ni  ya  ki  dumkin  fari  nasa  ba  zari 

kam  ba  rua  kubi  kasanka  ya  shikara 

ya  yi  tsokachi  da  achi  a  kass  da  ya  ki 
tsiraa 

rana  ka  ki  ga  niutum  a  kass  da  ya  ki  zuba 
rana  ka  ki  ga  nmtum  a  kass  da  ya  ki  fita 
a  bisa  fasabi  wanda  ya  zamma  kafiri 
hakkana  gaba  nasa  babu  sha  yina  jinjiri 
ai  ba  ka  samu  dukia  yi  abubekr 
sadaka  da  baiwa  dii  ya  bai  ahnajirai 
ba  shi  ka  ga  girkin  tukumya  du  gari 
su  zaka  je  ka  ishi  chana  a  kikhii'a 


80.  lit.   "the  skulls  have  made  the  heads  to  boil..." 

81.  jjj  yina]  equivalent  to  kama  "like";    cf.   j^  yi  in  the  following  line. 

82.  ^jU  mayi]  means  either  "a  wizard,"  or  "a  drunkard,"  the  former  is  the 
more  probable  meaning. 

achikintit]  understand  t.Jj5  dunia  "in  this  world." 

Ahuhekr]  Mohammed's  companion  in  his  flight  from  Mecca,  afterwards  one  of 
his  chief   supporters. 

84.  O^j^  (/irkiu]  i.e.  "to  cook  by  blowing  underneath  a  vessel  placed  on 
the  fire." 

85.  The  transliteration  is  somewhat  uncertain :  we  may  either  read  ku  ku  chin 
"  you  will  obtain,"  or  dukuchi,  taking  this  as  a  lengthened  form  of  duka  agreeing 
with  hcdli. 


POEM  B. 

B         In  the  name  of  God  the  author  of  my  words ;  God  is  great,  praise  be  to  God. 
There  is  no  God  but  God,  Mohammed  his  prophet  is  beloved. 
God  the  one  all-powerful  king,  he  is  our  lord  to-day  and  for  ever. 
O  God  our  Lord,  I  pray  to  thee  for  that  which  I  seek  and  need. 
5  May  God  sanctify  our  work,  may  He  give  us  sense  and  intelligence. 
O  God  our  Lord,  do  thou  help  thy  servant;  not  on  account  of  the  thing  which 

he  is  about  to  do. 
If  on  account  of  that  which    he   is   about   to   do,   how  was   it   in   former  time 

when  he  was  still  unborn  ? 
May  God  sanctify  our  work ;   may  He  make  it  good,  not  evil. 
May  God,  our  Lord,  help  his  servant ;  he  is  the  servant  of  his  prophet,  may  he 

save  (me). 
10  He   who   asks   is   not  without   reason,  provided    he   listen   to   that  which   thou 

showest  to  him. 
If  he   asks,   but   does   not   act   accordingly,   he   will   receive  judgment   on   the 

resurrection  day. 
The   evil   {lit   disease)   of    the   ignorant    man   will    take    him    away,   even   the 

torment  of  hell  is  not  equally  harmful. 

The  author  of  this  poem,  as  also  of  D,  was  a  Mallam  named  Mohammed,  who 
lived  at  Birnin  Gwai'i  between  Kane  and  Bida.  It  consists  of:  Introduction  1 — 3; 
prayer  for  assistance  in  writing  4 — 9;  the  characteristics  of  the  fool  10 — 14;  ex- 
hortation to  follow  Mohammed  15 — 21  ;  impossibility  of  choosing  both  this  world 
and  the  next  22 — 31  ;  knowledge  and  sight  not  necessarily  connected  32 — 34 ; 
difficulties  connected  with  the  service  of  God  35 — 43 ;  invocation  for  divine 
help  44 — 46;  this  world  to  be  neglected  in  view  of  the  next  47 — 52;  uncer- 
tainties and  troubles  of  the  present  life  53 — 72 ;  our  ancestors  have  all  passed 
away  73 — 80;  we  ourselves  shall  soon  die  81 — 90;  the  world  is  old  and  untrust- 
worthy 91 — 112;  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  the  future  and  nature  of  prepara- 
tion required  113 — 129;  personal  exhortation  130 — 135;  deceitfulness  of  this  life, 
necessity  of  knowledge  and  discernment  136 — 161  ;  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca  and 
the  rites  to  be  performed  there   162 — 175. 

1.  jj(^£»ji  farkoun\  is  apparently  equivalent  to  fdra  na  "beginner  of,"  cf.  A  2, 
or  it  may  be  intended  for  Ar.  ^^ISji  "  that  which  distinguishes  between  good  and 
evil,"  i.e.   the  Koran. 

jjla,.w  suhhdyia]  Ar.    "praise." 

2.  U^5  ^1  abin  kamna]  lit.  "a  thing  beloved."  kamna  is  possibly  connected 
with  Ar.   ^^5  kaman    "worthy." 


B         Bismi  allahi  farkoun  kalmata 
Allahu  la  allah  ilia  allahu 
Jabaru  wahidi  sarki  allah 
Allah  ubangijinmu  ni  ki  roko 
5  Allah  shi  tsarkaki  mamu  aikimu 
Allah  ubangiji  ka  jikan  bawa 
En  don  abin  da  zashi  aika  ni 
Allah  shi  tsarkaki  manna  aikinmu 
Allah  ubangiji  shi  jikan  bawa 
lo  Matan(ba)yi  ba  shi  rassa  huja  ba 
En  ya  yi  tanbaiya  ban  aika  ba 
Chiuta  da  jahili  kanwa  kai  nai 


POEM    B. 

allahu  akbar  subhana  allahi 
nuihamadu  rasulu  abin  kamna 
ubangijinmu  maiyo  maig(jbi 
komi  ni  ki  bida  da  bukatata 
shi  bamu  hankali  da  basiratas 
ba  don  abin  da  zashi  aika  ba 
mi  ya  yi  chin  gabban  ba  woshi  ba 
shi  sashi  sjilihi  ba  mugu  ba 
shi  baiya  annabi  nasa  shi  cheto 
sai  ya  ki  ji  abin  da  ka  nuna  mai 
shi  ki  da  alhaki  nasa  ran  gobi 
ko  gobara  ba  yita  don  bannai 


3.  L5^>*i3'*  >:!l5'*  in(di/o  maigohi]  lit.  "possessor  of  to-day,  possessor  of  to- 
morrow," line  21.  gobi  is  frequently  used  of  the  day  of  the  resurrection,  cf.  line  11. 
Cf.  Italian  domani,  which  is  used  in  the  same  two  senses  as  gobi. 

5.  ^jJJS^maj    basiratas]   from   Ar.    S;»waj  basirat   "prudence." 

6.  O"**-  jikaii]  "help,"  lit.  "fill";  cf.  Ar.  ^)L«  7nald,  which  has  the  same  two 
meanings ;    or  jikan   may   be  intended   for   JUi^  jinka   "  to  have  pity  on." 

7.  iri  yO'  y*]  if  ^his  is  to  be  taken  as  two  words  translate  as  above,  or 
yayi  may  be  translated  "age"  or  "time," 

4ji^^  v;oslt%\  should  be  j^jjl  atvoshi  "begotten";  the  argument  apparently  is, 
if  God's  gifts  can  only  be  obtained  as  the  result  of  meritorious  action,  how  did 
any   man  ever  obtain   the  blessing  of  birth  ? 


10. 


j^   viai\   for   masa ;   cf.   tai  for  tasa,  line    16,  nai  for   nasa,   line   12. 


12.      _Lbl».  jahili^    Ar.    J>aI».    jdhil    "ignorant,"    an    epithet    usually    applied    to 
the    heathen. 

\y^    kamva'\  a  lengthened  form  of  jj>^  kan,  denoting   conditional  mood. 
^j-i^   gobara^    Ar.  jLfi   gabdr    "  pain." 


16 

B         The  ignorant  man  would  act  like  a  fool ;   leave  him  alone,  be  exceeds  the  fool 

in  imbecility. 
For  the  fool  would  be  utterly  confused,  he  would  think  that  a  poisonous  plant 

was  wheat. 
15  You  my  brethren,  draw  near  to  the  Mallams;  seek  knowledge,  drive  away  dark 

evil  (lit.  black  disease). 
Follow  Mohammed,  trust  in  him,  give  diligence  to  (follow  in)  his  path. 
The  medicine  of  the  prophet  is  not  hot ;   grant  to  him  who  tastes  it  a  lessen- 
ing of  his  sickness. 
Whoever  beholds   thee,  beholds  part  of  paradise ;    he  (Mohammed)  saves   him, 

he  does  not  detain  him  or  make  a  long  examination. 
We   follow   thee,  we   follow   God,  we   believe,  we   give   to   him    our   confidence 

and  faith. 
20  We  trust  in  thee,  we  love  thee ;   blessed  art  thou  O  lord,  we  obtain  salvation 

(through  thee). 
I    praise    thee,    O    lord,    father    of   Zahra,    husband    of   Hadija,    who   endurest 

for  ever. 
You    my  brethren,   listen   and  pay  attention ;   leave  off  speaking   many  words, 

listen  to  what  I  say. 
The  regions  which  are  divided  and  have  never  met,  these  will  I  show  to  you, 

O  my  relations. 
Whoever  has  sense,  he  is  my  friend ;  let  us  talk  together,  let  him  choose  what 

he  desires. 
25  Let  him   try  to  take  both  (this  world  and  the  next) ;   either   flees  away  from 

him,  for  they  have  never  yet  come  together. 
Mother  and  daughter,  you  choose  between    them ;    you    know  that   you   cannot 

marry  them  both. 
So    too    earth    and    the    next    world,    you    know    that   3'ou    cannot    bring    them 

together  so  as  to  retain  them. 
Look  carefully  then  thyself  as  to  which  of  them  thou  wilt  choose. 

13.  O^    gaba7i\    Ar.    "imbecility." 

14.  i^-i*jl£9  03  daffa  kai  y  na%\  for  i***^  »-ii  daffa  kai  na'i,  lit.  "would  cook 
his  own  head,"  a  Hausa  expression  meaning,  "  would  be  utterly  confused ";  cf.  Mr 
Grimwig's  favourite  expression  in  Oliver  Twist,  '  I'll  eat  my  head.' 

15.  Dj^Uj  hakkal  c]mita\  for  bakkati  chiuta ;  for  interchange  of  I  and  n  cf. 
kamal  and  kaman   "  like." 

16.  ^JiJjSLj  sakankachi]  possibly  connected  with  Ar.  ^^^Jw  sakan  "to  rely  upon"; 
cf.   8.3  note. 

17.  L5».^J    yyi^    lit.    "pepper,"    so    "hot   as   pepper." 

18.  j^j-w-ij  binbini]  sometimes  written  ^.Ji^f.f^  bimbini  "to  examine  in  oider  to 
discover  faults  in,"  cf.  line  46. 


17 


B         Shi  jahili  shika(n)  yi  kama  hauka 
Don  jahili  shi  kan  daffa  kai  nai 

15  Ku  yan  uwa  ku  gwamatsi  mallamai 
Ku  bi  muhamadii  ku  sakankachi 
Annabi  magani  ba  yaji  ba 
Kowa  ganika  ya  ga  rabbo  gubi 
Mun  bika  mun  bi  allah  mim  yerda 

20  Mun  dogarinka  muna  kamna 
Ina  yabonka  sidi  uban  zahra 
Ku  yan  uwa  ku  jini  ku  saurara 
Mararaba  da  ba  su  gamu  katsu 
Kowa  fa  hankalinsa  aminina 

25  Shi  do  guda  guda  ta  tsiri  mai 
Uwa  dia  daiansu  ka  ka  zabi 
Hakka  fa  dunia  da  giddan  gobi 
Duba  sarrai  sarrai  kaidai  duba 


shima  ku  bershi  ya  fi  gaban  hauka 

guba  shiiia  tsachi  alkaki  che 

ku  neini  shini  ku  kore  bakkal  chiuta 

ku  bada  kokarunku  ga  suna  tai 

maddndani  ka  bashi  reggi  chiuta 

ya  tsira  ba  rikko  ba  binbini 

mun  bada  gaskia  da  aminchinmu 

albarkachinka  sidi  mu  samu  cheto 

mijin  hadija  maiyo  maig<jbi 

ku  ber  yawan  dumi  ku  ji  kahnata 

su  zani  baiyenna  maku  dengina 

en  mun  fadi  shi  zabi  maradinai 

domi  ba  angamasu  atara  ba 

ka  suna  ba  ka  gakasu  ka  amri  ba 

ka  san  ba  ka  gamasu  ka  rumtsi  ba 

chikinsu  kowdche  fa  ka  ka  zaba 


20.  j-^_s^  dogari\  or  dogara  "lean  upon";  maidogari  is  the  pole  to  keep  a 
door  shut.     Cf.   also  C  47. 

21.  \jj6j  zahrci]  The  daughters  of  Mohammed  were  Rukaiya,  Zeinab,  Fatima, 
and  "  the  mother  of  Kulthum."     Possibly  Zahra  is  to  be  identified  with  the  last. 

22.  j.^i  dumi]  or  dtimmi  "a  loud  noise";  in  Sokoto  it  is  equivalent  to 
"word"    or    "speech." 

23.  Wj/^  'mararaha\  an  intensive  form  of  raba  "to  divide,"  with  prefix  mai; 
or  it  may  be  intended  for  masu-araba,  the  a  before  raba  being  the  passive  prefix  ; 
"the   regions   which  are   divided"   are   this   world  and   the   next. 

25.      IjLC    Ij^i  guda  guda]   lit.    "one,    one,"   i.e.    both   together. 
27.      ^j^juj^i'  giddan  gobi]  lit.   "  the  house  of  to-morrow." 

R.  H.  3 


18 

B         He  who  seeks  heaven  for  himself,  cares  not,  as  you  know,  for  earth. 

30  He  who  waits  for  abundance  to  eat,  cares  not,  as  you  know,  for  a  mouthful. 
You    my   brethren,    where    is    your    saying    of    prayers  ?    if    you    hold    fast    to 

them,   they   will    be   a   gain    to   you. 
If  knowledge  (within  a  man)  perceives  not,  how  can  the  eye  see  clearly  ? 
If  knowledge  perceives,  it  is  not  the  eye,  as  you  know,  which  really  sees. 
He   who    has   both    knowledge   and   sagacity  clouded  over,  leave  him,  he  is  as 

a  blind  man. 
35  Look  within  at  your   actions ;    if  they   are   (right),  you  shall  enter  into  a  fair 

reward. 
You    my   brethren,    do   ye    endure    strife,    follow   with    all    your    heart,    leaving 

off  evil. 
Fight  earnestly  (or,  with  your  heart),  leave  off  evil ;   the  avoidance  of  it  is   a 

true  education. 
He  who  overcomes  his  own  heart,  bends  it  as  a  sickle  is  bent. 
You  my   brethren,   let  us  repent,  let  us  leave  off  evil ;   if  we  refuse  we  shall 

not  see  good. 
40  You    too,   let   us   follow    the   knowledge   which    we    have   in   regard    to    action, 

let  us  not  vainly  trample  it  under  foot. 
That  which  your  Mallam  explains  to  you,  keep,  look  not  closely  at  his  work. 
I  myself  desire  nothing,  wherefore  I  can  speak  without  any  reference  to  action. 
He    who   possesses   knowledge    but    does    not   act    (accordingly),   what   will    he 

have  to  say  on  the  day  of  the  resurrection  ? 
You    my   brethren   gather   together   and    say   "Amen,"   in    order    that    I   may 

pray  a  prayer  which  shall  be  effective. 
45  May  God  grant  us   days   without   sin,   may   He   give   us   food   and   drink    and 

abundance. 
May  God  grant  us  days  of  prosperity,  without  fear,  without  grumbling. 

29.  f^  tas]  shortened  form  of  tasa ;  aljanna  being  feminine,  tasa  is  used 
instead    of   nasa. 

30.  ^«JUA  (^^*^  kabakki  clunguiii\  kabakki  is  properly  a  calabash  full  of  food, 
hence  equals  "abundance."     dung%iin  is  equivalent  to  dyawa  "very  much." 

31.  (-La*©  mamlli\  or  rather  musalli,  "  praying."  According  to  Abd-el-Kadr 
we  should  read  <<Ai«  viatlbali  "  where  are  your  acts  of  such  a  kind  that  if  you 
hold    fast,    etc." 

32.  ji5^5j.5  kurkurkur'\  "wide-opened";  in  A  29  it  is  written  \j£sj£s  kirkira 
and  applied  to  the  mouth.  The  Ar.  0j.9j3  karkarat  denotes  the  cooing  of  a  dove. 
Translate  as  above,  or,  "  if  a  man  perceive  not  that  which  is  prudent,  etc."  and 
so  in  the  following  line. 

33.  tjk».  Jidda]    Ar.    "very  much"  or  "in  earnest." 
35.     i*^b    hdtsini]    Ar.    ^;>J^b    hdtin    "interior." 


19 


Shi   wonda  ki  bida  aljanna  tas 

3°  Shi  wonda  ki  jiran  kabakki  dungum 
Ku  yan  uwa  enna  maku  masalli 
Abinda  hankali  bai  gani  ba 
Abinda  hankali  ki  ganiwa 
Ya  wonda  hankali  da  basiratai 

35  Ku  duba  batsini  ga  aikanku 
Ku  yan  uwa  ku  jimri  jehadi  dai 
Ku  yaki  zuchia  ku  berin  swabo 
Shi  wonda  zuchiata  rinjayi 
Ku  yan  uwa  mu  tuba  mu  bcr  swabo 

40  Ku  dai  mu  bi  shinamu  da  aikawa 
Abinda  mallaminka  ya  nunama 
Kaina  na  ki  niffi  ba  kowa  ba 
Shi  wonda  ya  yi  shinni  bai  aika  ba 
Ku  yan  uwa  ku  taru  ku  che  amin 

45  Allah  shi  bamu  tsarki  kwanaki 
Allah  shi  bamu  kwana  lafafa 


kun  .san  ba  shi  kullata  da  dunia  ba 
ku  san  ba  shi  kullata  da  lauma 
en  ku  rikcsu  sai  maku  anfani 
kakka  iddo  shi  ka(n)  gashi  kurkurkur 
kun  san  iddo  ba  shi  gashi  Jidda  ba 
su  ki  rufi  ku  bershi  makafo  ni 
en  su  yi  akiba  maikiyo  ku  sbigga 
ku  bida  kangara  ga  berin  swabo 
akalmasshita  ta  yi  laddabi  gaskia 
shi  koshi  karkattata  kama  lauji 
em  mun  kia  ba  mu  ga  da  kiyo  ba 
kadda  mu  tatakishi  muna  banna 
rikeshi  kadda  ka  lura  da  aiki  nai 
domin  ni  kan  fada  ban  aika  ba 
enna  abinda  zashi  fadi  gobi 
don  zani  adua  maianflmi 
shi  bamu  chi  da  sha  da  abin  yelvva 
da  babu  razana  ba  bibini 


,^5U  dkiba]  Ar.  iuSlft  dkibat  "  result "  or  "  reward."  Translate  as  above  or 
"  if  they  produce  a  good  result  you  shall  enter  (heaven)." 

36.  j^>  dai]  may  either  be  for  daia  "  one,"  or  it  may  be  equivalent  to  dadai 
"at  all,"  "indeed";    cf.   line  40. 

37.  Os.>..i:..<,JL£al  akalmasshita]  lit.   "  let  it  be  avoided,  it  makes  true  education." 
j^jj    laddabi]    is   apparently    derived    from    Ar.    wJ.st    adab   "a    polite    education," 

the  I  being  the  Ar.  article ;    cf.   lafia,  line  47. 

38.  \lSj£s  karkatta]  "  to  bend  to  one  side,"  cf.   F  7,  note. 
42.     lit.   "therefore  I  may  speak,  I  have  not  worked." 

46.  b^i^)  h(.fdfa]  the  more  usual  form  is  lafia,  which  is  obviously  derived  from 
Ar.  ijiU  dfiat  "health,"  the  I  being  the  Ar.  article,  which  has  become  a  per- 
manent addition    to    the    word,    as    in    laddabi,    line    37. 

bibini]    "grumbling,"   usually  written  ^^*g*^    bimbini,  cf.   lines   18,   54. 


20 

B         It    there  be  food  and  drink  and  abundance  and  prosperity,  the  service   of  God 

would  spread. 
Were   I   a   child   of   this   earth,    which    is    coming    to    an    end,   I   would    not 

pray  nor  make  ablutions. 
Why   should   we    feel   glad   at   a    long    continuance    (in    this   world)  ?     I   have 

no  object  of  desire  here. 
50  You    my   brethren,   abandon  the  business  of  this  world ;    whoever  follows  after 

the  business  of  this  world  serves  not  God. 
Place  this  world  behind  you,  place  the  next  world  before  your  forehead. 
Whoever  follows  this  world  is  deceived,  he  toils  after  vanity. 
Watch  thou  though  thy  friend  sleep,  be  cautious  as  to  the  thing  which  you  do. 
If  thou    continuest   silent   refrain   from   grumbling   (to    yourself),   meditate    on 

that  of  which  you  are  afraid. 
55  We   have   a  journey  before    us   which    cannot   be   put   aside,  whether  you  are 

prepared  or  unprepared ; 
Whether  by  night,  or  just  before  the  dawn,  or  in  the  morning  when  the  sun 

has  risen. 
That  which   you    have,  you  do   not  really  possess;    make  preparation  before  it 

(i.e.  death)  part  you  (from  this  life). 
For   that   day   shall   part   you   (from   this  world),   it  will   steal   thy  life,   it  will 

leave  thee  lying  in  the  ground. 
It  will   leave   thy  water-bearer   out   of  pity,   and   your   doubts   and   grumbling 

(will  go)  with  you. 
60  O   boy,   where   is   thy   pitiful   face  ?   you   are   (a    child)   of  earth   and   rise  not 

from   sleep. 
Look  carefully,  behold  this  earth,  it  is  deceitful,  it  will  not  continue  for  ever. 
It   is   a   house   in    which   is   no   relaxation   or   rest ;   there   is   no   health   in  it, 

nothing  but  sickness. 
Everything  in  the  world  hath  an  end,  I  have  seen  nothing   that   shall   endure 

for  ever. 

47.  bUc  ibddci]  Ar.  S^Uft  ibddat   "  service  of  God." 

48.  lit.   "  I  did  not  pray,   ablutions  were  made." 

liUJl  enshqfa]  i.e.  cmshqfa,  from  sha/a  "to  anoint"  either  with  oil  or  with 
water. 

49-     (^•>^.>b  dadaidai]  a  strengthened  form  of  dadi  "sweet." 

51.  «ilJ^^j  lakhiralka]  must  either  be  intended  for  ^1^*^  lakhirdka  or  slJU^*^ 
lakhiranka. 

54.  q\  e7i]  may  either  be  "if "  or  the  sign  of  the  imperative,  in  which  case 
translate    "continue    in    silence..." 

56.     ^aa>  flffc   jifjif]    for  jvifit    about    5  a.m.    or   an   hour    before  sunrise  (azuba) ; 


21 


B         Izan  da  chi  da  sha  da  abin  yelwa 
En  dan  ta  dunia  niaikariwa 
Domin  tsawan  zama  mu  ji  dadaidai 

50  Ku  yan  uwa  ku  ber  shagalin  dunia 
Ku  sainya  dunia  ka  a  baianka 
Kowa  bi  dunia  nan  ya  rudu 
Kai  dai  aboka  kwana  kana  lura 
En  ka  shiru  kashi  rika  binbini 

55  Muna  da  tafia  ba  fasawa 
Yala  chikin  derri  ko  ko  jifjif 
Abinda  ki  da  kai  ba  kai  ka  ba 
Dorai  da  randa  zata  ta  rabika 
Ta  ber  majinatanka  chikin  tausai 

60  Yaro  enna  ganinka  abin  tausai 
Ɗuba  sarai  sarai  ka  ga  dunia  na(n) 
Giddan  da  ba  natso  ba  hutawa 
Komi  na  dunia  maikariwa 


da  lafia  ibada  kan  yado 

ba  na  yi  adua  enshafa  ba 

na  dunia  ba  na  yi  maradi  ba 

kowa  bi  tata  ba  shi  ibada  ba 

ku  sainya  lakhiralka  gaban  goshi 

shina  dawoinia  da  abin  wofi 

ka  yi  hankali  abin  da  ka  ka  aika 

kana  tuna  abin  da  ka  ki  tsoro 

en  ka  yi  shiri  da  izan  ba  ashiriya  ba 

ko  ko  da  safi  tasawal  hantsi 

ka  shirinka  kanda  ta  rabika 

ta  sachi  rai  ta  berka  kita  kunchi 

da  zulumi  garika  da  binbini 

kana  ta  dunia  ba  ka  falka  ba 

rudi  garita  ba  ta  zamma  tutu 

ba  lafia  chiki  nata  sai  chiuta 

ni  ban  ga  wonda  zashi  shi  dori  ba 


hantsi   being   about    two    hours   after  sunrise.     For    the    ten    divisions  of   Hausa  day 
cf.    Diet,  under   rana. 

JljlwD  tasawal]  the  final  I  is  here  used  for  n,  the  sign  of  the  genitive. 

57.  Ht.   "the  thing  that  is  with  you,  you  yourself  do  not  (possess)." 

58.  ^t;^  kunchi]  lit.   "untied."    It   should   probably  be  ^^  kwanchi  "lying 
down." 

59.  -.r --;>''  majinata]  "one  who  gives  water  in  time  of  sickness." 

60.  bCJli  falka]    probably    refers    to    rising   from  the  sleep  of  death.     For  use  of 
word  cf.  D  26. 

61.  C-J  tutit]  "for  ever,"  also  written  ^)^  tutuJ,  jli^  tatur,  and  C<JJ  tutut. 

62.  tjltj-^    hutawa]  for   \^Ki^  futaiva  "rest";   for  similar  interchange  of  letters 
cf.  huja  and  fuja,  huska  and  /uska  A  67. 


22 

B         Thou    obtainest   much  of  thy   desire,    thou    receivest  not  everything  that  thou 
wish  est   for. 
65  Thou  knowest  that  no  man  is  without  desire ;   if  thou  art  about  to  accomplish 
anything,  accomplish  it  with  prudence. 

0  God,   do   thou   grant   that   I    may   accomplish    my   desire,   may   I    come   to 

the  city  where  is  the  lover  of  truth. 
Whatever   thou   seekest   as  thy   object  of  desire,   ask  the  Lord,  thou  wilt  not 

fail  to  get  it. 
God  is  our  Lord,  one  to  be  loved;  He  gives  to-day,  he  increases  on  the  morrow. 
Whatever  the  Lord  gives,  there  is  no  one  to  take  from  it  or  to  snatch  it  away. 
70  You   my   brethren,   leave   off    following   seducers ;    they   call   you,    they   say   to 

you,  '  shu  shu  shu.' 
Whatever  begins  will   come   to   an   end,  we   shall    not  endure,  the  whole  world 

will   end. 

1  have   seen   into   the   inside   of  this   world,   I    have  seen  nothing  to  compare 

with  the  service  of  God. 
Will  the  world  indeed  last  for  ever  ?     Our  prophets  do  they  continue  in  it  ? 
Thou   and   the   world,   ye   shall    both    come    to   an   end,  and  all  thy  possessions 

and  thy  kingdom. 
75  Where   are   thy  grandfather   and    thy  ancestors  ?    they  have  all  passed  away  as 

those  who  continue  not. 
Behold  Bello,  the  ruler  over  his  kingdom ;  what  was  like  unto  it  in  the  regions 

of  the  Soudan  ? 
He   ruled   as   king,  he   decreased   not   the    kingdom,  he   called  his  people  to  a 

true  service. 
Behold  Kahukaro  and  his  kingdom,  behold  Bawa  and  Babari. 
Behold   and   see,   they    were   as   those   who   continued  not  on  earth,  both  they 

and  their  kingdoms. 


64.     ic*^-''  asawaki]  from  sauki  "to  obtain  help." 

s^siJ^y    duka   niffa\    "  every   desire,"    or    we    may    read    dukan  fa,   fa    being    an 
enclitic  particle  and  duka  agreeing  with  guri. 

liwj    ruska^  more  commonly  riska  "to  meet  with"  or  "obtain." 

66.  (jj^    mazaii\    for    ^y^^   mason    "lover    of."     The    city    here  referred   to    is 
the   future    world,    cf.    A    10. 

67.  w>l5  tdbi'\  sometimes  spelt   »^Ij   tdfi  "to  be   without."     It  is  perhaps  derived 
from  the  V.   form  of  the  Ar.   ^-jI  aha  "to  refuse." 

69.  Ijl^j    babawa]    a    lengthened    form     of    b    ba    "to    give,"    or    we    may    read 
ba   bawa    "gives  (to  his)  slave." 

70.  jJUa-Jj  shaitsdni]  Hausa  pi.  of  Ar.   ^J^JaL^  "evil  spirit"  or  "tempter." 
A^  ^  ^  shu  shu  shu^  a  call  to  take  part  in  a  game. 


23 


B         Kai  dai  asawaki  daiawan  guri 

65  Ka  san  mutum  ba  shi  rasa  guri  ba 
Allah  ka  berni  en  chika  gurina 
Komi  ka  ki  bida  da  bukatalka 
Allah  ubangijimu  abin  kamna 
Komi  ubangiji  ya  babawa 
70  Ku  yan  uwa  ku  ber  bin  shaitsani 
Komi  ya  faru  zashi  shi  kari  ni 
Na  dubi  diinia  hal  babinta 
Dadai  ana  zamna  dunia  dankam 
Da  kai  da  dunia  ku  kari  duk 
75  Enna  uban  ubaka  da  kakani 
Duba  ga  bello  idon  malki  nai 
Ya  malakita  bai  reggi  kowa  ba 
Duba  kahukaro  da  sarauta  tai 


ba  duka  niffa  guri  kan  ruska 

en  zaka  yi  ka  yishi  chikin  lura 

en  je  madina  enda  mazan  gaskia 

roki  ubangiji  ba  ka  tabi  ba 

shi  baka  yanzu  gobi  shi  karama 

ba  maireggi  beri  maikwachivva 

suna  kira  suna  yi  maku  shu  shu  shu 

karkonmu  dunia  duk  kariwa 

ni  ban  ga  taltali  ya  ibada  ba 

da  annabinmu  na  achiki  zamni 

da  dukialka  duk  da  sarautalka 

duka  sun  wuchi  kamal  ba  su  zamna  ba 

wa  ya  yi  tasu  nan  sararin  sudan 

shina  kira  da  addinin  gaskia 

duba  ga  bawa  ko  ko  babari 


Ai  ka  ga  su  yi  kamal  ba  su  zamna  ba      a  dunia  da  su  da  sarautansu 


72.     v>Jb    bdbin]   "inside,"    perhaps    from    Ar.    w>0    bdb    "gate." 
^  ya]  =  kama  "as,"  cf.   line   76  and  A   6. 

76.  On  the  death  of  Othman  in  1817  his  empire  was  divided  up  between  his 
two  sons,  Mohammed  Bello  receiving  the  larger  portion,  his  capital  l)eing  at 
Sokoto. 

^J^\  iclo7i]  lit.  "eye  of,"  here  "chief  of";  cf.  Ar.  ^J^  aln,  which  is  used  in 
the  same  two  senses. 

77.  ..C.AwjJI  adiliniti  ijaskia?^  i.e.  Mohammedanism.  Bello's  father  was  the 
means    of   effecting   the    nominal    conversion   of   a    large    part    of    his    empire. 

78.  Kahukaro  was  king  of  Zamfara,  Bawa  of  Gober,  and  Babari  of  Katsena ; 
they  were  all  conquered  and  their  territories  rendered  subject  to  Sokoto, 


24 

B    80  He   who    first   began   to   live   (i.e.    Adam),   began    life    only   on    the    condition 

that  his  days  should  have  an  end. 
He  to  whom  an  end  has  been  brought,  how  can  he  avoid  that  end  ? 
You   my   brethren,   consider   well   the    times   and    their    changes,   behold    that 

which  is  deserving  of  pity. 
My  brother,  you  know  that   we   shall    die;    let   us   give   credence,   let   us    put 

aside  quarrelling. 
For  this  world  is  not  to  be  trusted ;   thou  escapest   to-day,  have  a  fear  for  to- 
morrow. 
85  Salute  the  really  great  man ;  do  not  listen  and  then  say.  The  man  who  tills  the 

ground  is  great. 
He  who  gives  his  time  to  farming  and    tilling,  leave  him   alone,  he   is   a   man 

who  will  have  great  trouble. 
Salute  the  really  great  who  is  making  preparation  for  the  last  day. 
Every  night  such  spend   in   prayer,   in   saying  'Allah   akbar,'   in   saluting   the 

prophet. 
They  cast  aside   this   world,  they  look   not   at   it,   they  devote  their  attention 

to  the  service  of  God. 
90  Trouble   not,   let   go   this  world,  do   the  work  which    belongs   to   you,   do   that 

which  belongs  to  your  service  of  God. 
Behold  the  world,  it  grows  old  ;    whatever  grows  old  will  come  to  an  end. 
It  is  subject  to   the   necessity   of  coming  to   an   end ;    when  (the  end)  comes, 

it  will  continue  in  a  state  of  desolation. 
When  thou  seest  it  swollen  with  calamity,  the  east  and  west  will  disappear. 
Alas   for  the   last    man    left,    he    is   to   be  pitied    for   that    which    he  will    see 

at  the  end. 
95  At  that  time  thou  mayest  go  and  look ;   though  thou    shalt   desire  a   place   to 

flee  to,  thou  shalt  not  find  it. 


80.  ^^\9  fdchi]  means  either  "provided  that"  or  "up  till  now."  Hence  we  may 
perhaps  translate  "the  beginner  {i.e.  God)  in  olden  time  had  himself  no  beginning, 
his  days  liave  lasted  even  till  now." 

82.  tjjL«tj   zamami]   from   Ar.    ^^\^cJ   zamdn   "time"   or  "season." 

83.  zama%\   a  shortened   form  of  zama  yi. 

^JjSii£s  kankanchi]  this  is  possibly  the  French  cancan  Arabicised  into  ^^JXJ^ 
kankan   "idle  gossip";    or  we  should  perhaps  read  sakankachi.     Cf.  line  16,  note. 

^^-  L^A>^  huda^  "to  hoe  the  ground  with  a.  fatainya.^'  In  Hausaland  this  work 
is  always  performed  by  slaves. 

86.     lit.    "leave  him,   he  is  a  mighty  man  of  trouble." 

88.  jjj^i^i  zikiri\  from  Ar.  j^^i  zikr  "to  invoke  the  name  of  God";  in 
Hausa  it  is  usually  confined  to  the  invocation  '■^  Allah   akhar,"  i.e.   "God  is  great." 


25 


B     80  Maifaruvva  dadai  bai  fara  ba 

Shi  wonda  ankawoshi  da  kariwa 
Kii  yan  uwa  ku  hira  da  zamanu 
Kai  yan  uwa  ku  san  mutua  zamai 
Don  diinia  ba  tan  yi  aminchi  ba 

85  Agaida  yan  maza  bajinin  gaskia 
Maikokari  na  noma  ko  huda 
Agaida  yan  maza  bajinin  gaski 
Kulum  derri  su  kwana  sun  a  salla 
Sun  yesda  dimia  ba  su  duba  ba 

90  Ku  ber  kulla  da  kunchi  zamani 
Ku  lura  dunia  ta  tsofi 
Tana  da  sharatsan  tana  kariwa 
En  ka  ga  kumburata  ta  ta  afko 
Kaito  nabaia  kaito  abin  tausai 

95  Domin  da  zamani  taffi  kai  lura 


fdchi  da  kwanakinsa  na  kariwa 
kaka  shi  ki  shika  rassa  kdriwa 
da  jirkitansu  ku  ga  abin  tausai 
mu  bada  gaskia  mu  sa  kankanchi 
ka  tsira  yo  kana  tsoron  g6bi 
kadda  ku  ji  ku  che  bajini  huda 
ku  bershi  bajinin  wahalla  ki  nan 
wonda  ki  shiri  domin  g(jbi 
suna  zikiri  suna  essallatunsu 
su  hankalinsu  na  ga  gibadasu 
ku  ku  yi  ta  kanku  ku  yi  ta  ibddaku 
komi  ya  tsofa  zashi  shi  kari  ni 
en  sun  taffo  ta  kan  rika  risbawa 
gabbas  da  yamma  zata  ta  gurbachi 
domin  abinda  zashi  gani  karshi 


ka  so  wurin  gudu  ba  ka  samu  ba 


j.^««Ci'!jLfiJI  eJmlatnnsu]  pronounce  essalatunsu,  lit.  "they  (make)  their  salutations 
(to   the    prophet)." 

89.  ^^Lc  ffibcidasu]    obviously  a  mistake  for  ^^Lc  ihddasu. 

90.  fJ^i  ktmchi]  lit.  "loosen";  or  we  may  perhaps  read  kun  chi,  chi  being 
used  as  in  the  common  expression  chi  saranta  for  "gain  possession  of"  or  "enjoy." 

92.  hfJ:,  shdrats]    an  Arabic   woi'd  meaning  "condition"  or  "obligation." 

y^j^  s?wi]  this  is  apparently  a  mistake  for  ta,   which   would  refer  back  to  kdruca. 

93.  ^\  afko]  "desolation";  so  in  line  105,  possibly  from  Ar.  2Si\  afkatun, 
which  is  defined  by  the  Arabic  lexicon  Taj-el-Aroos  as  "  a  punishment  whereby 
the   dwellings    of   a    people    are    overturned." 

j-jU^  gurbachi]    from.   Ar.   w^  garaha  "to  disappear." 
95.     lit.   "in  consequence  of  the  time  go  look..." 
R.  H.  4 


26 

B        At   that   time   thou    mayest   go   and    look,    thou    shalt   cry   but   there   shall  be 

no  answer. 
God  is  our  Lord,  I  pray  that  He  may  not  bring  us  to  that  day. 
As   for   us,   our   days   are   days   of  faith,    wherefore   behold   a   place    to  flee  to 

and  hide  in. 
You    my  brethren,    leave    off    this    grumbling,    leave    off  evil  hankering   after 

this  world ; 
loo  As   thou  seest   that    this   world   will    be    destroyed,    act    not    deceitfully,    but 

perform    thy    service    to    God. 
Cleave   thou    thyself    to   that    which    will   profit   thee,    for   this   world   goes   to 

destruction. 
If  thou   seest   the  world   about   to   perish  and   fall   to  ruin,  work  not  in  order 

to  follow  it  or  to  restore  it. 
If  thou   beholdest   the  sun  in  the  dawn,  the  morning  and  until  evening,  thou 

thinkest  then  that  it  will  set. 
I  indeed  tell  you,  my  relations,  the  nature  of  this  world,  in  order  that  you  may 

be  watchful. 
105  It   is   altogether   old,   it   is   the   garden   of    Satan,   a    cess   pit,  the    mother   of 

secret  (evil),  itself  about  to  be  destroyed, 
I   have   considered   the    world   and   its   possessions,  I  have  seen  no  continuance 

to  its  dominion. 
A  false  friend  will  not  become  true,  act  not  thou  deceitfully  nor  follow  a  fool. 
This  world  destroys  utterly  him  who  is  devoid  of  sense,  it  is  as  one  who   says, 

Enter,  enter,  make  ready  crime. 
It   is   the   child   of  evil,  the    constant  author  of  deceit,  it  is  old  and  tottering 

with  age,  the  nurturer  of  disease. 
1 10  The   world   is    old,   he   who   places    it    in    front    of    his    forehead    is  the   wife 

of  an   ass. 
What  does  he  desire  in  this  earth  ?     He  says  (that  he  desires)  both  its  goods 

and  its  dominion. 
Alas  for  that  which  shall  not  endure  for  ever,  although  its  beginning  was  fair. 


99.     ^tfj    ^^jMJ   bakiri  chikt]    lit.   "black    inside,"   so  "evil  thoughts";    cf.  commou 
expression  bakm  zuchia,  lit.   "  black  heart." 

101.  ^y>s-  'aiauda]   probably  from  Ar.  33*  'aud  "repetition," 

102.  Ujj  rizba]  cf.  line   92,   where   it  is  written  ^jU-jj  rishawa.     It  is   perhaps 
from  Ar.  wwj  rasaba  "to  sink  down." 

105.      jjUi  dunana\  a  contracted  form  of  \JJ\^^i  dunia  nana,  cf.   line   110,  etc. 
ci^lj*  uwal  ruji\  for  uwati  ruji ;  for  this  use  of  uwa  cf,  uwal  deffi,  "poisonous.' 


27 


B        Domin  da  zamani  taffi  kai  lura 
Allah  ubangijinmii  ni  ki  roko 
Mu  namu  kwanaki  na  aminchi  ui 
Kii  yan  uwa  ku  ber  wani  bimblni 

loo  En  ka  ga  zamani  ya  gurbachi 
Kai  dai  aiauda  kanka  ga  anfani 
En  ka  ga  ta  machi  da  da  rizbata 
En  ka  ga  safia  rana  hantsi 
Ni  dai  ina  gaia  maku  dengina 

105  Diinana  tsofua  gonan  shaitan 
Na  duba  di'mia  hal  samunta 
Karia  aboka  ba  ta  zama  gaski 
Diinia  dunana  bada  magagachi 
Ta  dan  tsulama  mairikichi  tutut 

no  Dunana  tsofua  matal  jakai 

Shi  mi  akayi  kwadai  gun  duniana 
Kaito  abinda  ba  shi  zama  tutut 


ka  yi  kururua  ba  amsa  ba 
kadda  shi  kaimu  wonan  kwanaki 
don  ga  wurin  gudu  da  naboiiwa 
ku  ber  bakin  chiki  don  diiuia  nan 
kadda  ka  rikichi  yi  ibadaka 
don  diinia  ta  je  ta  ta  lalachi 
ba  aika  don  ka  bita  ka  raia  ba 
hal  ta  asar  kaaa  zetto  fadawa 
halli  na  dunia  don  ku  yi  lura 
saiga  uwal  rufi  maiafkawa 
ni  ban  ga  tabetta  ba  ga  mulkinta 
kadda  ka  rikechi  ka  bi  shashasha 
ki  maishiggo  shiggo  da  shirin  zanba 
agaga  tsofua  gonal  chiuta 
wodanda  sunka  sata  gaban  goshi 
wai  dukia  da  su  da  sarotanta 
koda  shina  da  kyaun  farawa 


106.     UJ  tabetta]    probably  from  Ar.   C--J   "to  persevere." 

108.  j^    bada']    according    to     Abd-el-Kadr    this     is    here    equivalent     to    bata, 
another   form    of    bachi    "to    destroy." 

LJi  zanba]    from  Ar.  ^^i  zanh  "a  crime." 

109.  vo^U^    tsulama]    probably    from    Ar.  ^JLb    tsidni    "injustice,"    or    it    may    be 
intended  for  lyoJi  zulumi,  cf.  line  59, 

111.      lit.    "he,   what  desire  hath  been  wrought  in   this  earth." 


28 

B         My    boy,    I    bid    you    be    watchful,    let    it    (the    world)    flee    away,    refuse    to 

hold    it   back. 
Accomplish  deeds  fit  for  the  next  world,  make  much  preparation;   leave  alone 

the  things  that  belong  to  this  world,  which  is  to  come  to  an  end. 
115  Give   up   delaying  and  saying.  It  will  do  when  you  are  old;    death  will  come 

before  you  are  old. 
Did   a   young   man  ever  drive   death  away,  or  does  not  the  infant   carried  on 

its  mother's  back  die  ? 
Mayest   thou    have   much    prudence,   so    that   you    may   observe ;    the   boy   and 

the  old  man  both  die  in  this  world. 
Death   is   the   boundary  (of   life)  and  the  author  of  separation,  it  is  almighty 

and  causes  men  to  lie  stretched  out  as  in  the  tomb. 
You   toil   after   many  objects  of  desire,  death  will  come  unperceived,  and  will 

take  thee  away. 
120  It   will   in   no   wise   admit   of  delay,   it   is    meditating    coming    next    year,   or 

perhaps  to-morrow. 
When  it  comes,  it  draws  near  to  a  man ;    his  day  of  earthly  life  is  ended. 
Thy  days  on  earth  are  numbered,  thou  canst  not  pass  them  nor  shorten  them. 
Leave   the   things  of  earth,  they  are   of  no  use;    man  is  like  one  who  comes 

and  remains  not. 
As   nothing   shall   continue   for   ever,  take   not  up  that  concerning  which  thou 

art  in  doubt. 
125  Leave   thy  possessions,   listen   to  that  which   is  really  good;    be  diligent,  make 

preparation  for  the  last  day. 
Leave   the   world   to  perish,  whoever  follows  it  will  suffer  loss  (on)  the  resur- 
rection day. 
He  who  is  on  a  hill  sees  all  round ;    he  beholds,  but  does  not  enter  the  pit. 
He  whom  you  see  doing  no  service,  leave  him  alone,  the  world  has  deceived  him. 
He  continues  uselessly  in  the  world;  he  is  as  one  who  comes  and  remains  not. 


113.  '>*')  zdmiwa]    "to  hold  back,"  from  Av.  jaj  zamm  "to  bridle  a  camel." 

114.  KjjIij^  shirshirya]    an  intensive  form  of  b^  shiria   "to  make  ready." 

116.  Lc  goia]  "to  carry  a  child  on  the  back."  Infants  are  always  carried  thus 
in  Hausaland.  bound  to  the  mother  by  a  fold  of  cloth. 

117.  lit.    "thy  prudence  is  complete,  behold." 

118.  ^tjuj  saddda]  probably  the  same  as  tjjUw  sandua  "to  creep  along  un- 
perceived," or  it  may  be  connected  with  Ar.  jw  sadda  "to  close  in"  or  "act  as  a 
boundary  to." 

jL^I   aljabbaru]  from  Ar.  jL^  jabbdr  "mighty,"  an  epithet  usually  applied  to  God. 
j-ii  gichi]    "to  lie  stretched  out  motionless  either  in  sleep  or  in  death." 


29 


B         Yaro  ina  gaia  maka  kai  lura 

Ka  yi  ta  lakhira  ka  ka  shirshirya 

iisBerri  jira  ka  che  sai  ka  tsofi 
Dadai  kurichia  na  kareta 
Da  hankalika  ya  chika  kai  lura 
Sadada  rautua  sarikin  rabo 
Kima  nan  dunia  diawan  guri 

1 20  Ita  datsai  ba  tan  yi  ta  fasa  ba 
Yawanda  ta  taffo  ta  rabeshi 
Kwananka  diinia  madudai  ni 
Ka  ber  ta  dunia  ba  anfani 
Domin  abinda  ba  shi  zama  tutuk 

125  Ku  ber  ta  dukia  ku  ji  dadadai 
Ku  berta  dunia  lalatachi 
Shi  wonda  ki  tudu  na  dorarai 
Shi  wonda  ka  ga  ba  shi  ibada  ba 
Ya  zamna  diinia  ba  anfani 


berri  sukua  kana  ki  zamiwa 
ber  ta  diinia  maikariwa 
akanmache  gabban  ba  tsofi  ba 
da  jinjiri  ba  shi  mutu  goia  ba 
yaro  shi  kan  machi  tsofo  na  nan 
ta  aljabbaru  sainya  mutum  gichi 
ta  kan  taffo  sadada  ta  figcka 
makada  maizachi  badi  ko  gobi 
ran  an  ta  diinia  tasa  ta  wanyi 
ba  ka  wuchesu  ma  ka  kasasu 
shi  ma  kamal  maso  bai  zamna  ba 
kadda  ka  do  abinda  ka  ka  damn 
ku  yi  kokari  ku  shiria  giddan  gobi 
kowa  bi  tata  shi  rubushi  gobi 
shina  gani  ba  shi  shigga  rami  ba 
ku  bershi  diinia  tasa  ta  rudai 
shi  ma  kamal  maso  bai  zamna  ba 


119.  Liji  dunia]  probably  for  L^ji  dawoinia  "to  toil  after,"  cf.  line  52. 

120.  («i»>  datsai]  for  j^>ti  dadai,  cf.  line  116. 

>l£«  makddd']  Ar.   "being  on  the  point  of  doing  anything." 

122.  j^j(jjjt«  madiulai]  from  Ar.   js-  adda  "to  reckon  up. 

123.  3 0  maso]  should  be  tjjL«  mazo  "one  who  conies,"  so  also  in  line  129. 

127.  \Sj'^j3>  dorarai]  better  doraro  "to  look  all   round,"  perhaps  connected  with 
Ar.  jj>  daur  "to  turn,"  or  "to  go  round."     For  repetition  of  this  line  cf.   151. 

128.  i<>5;  rudai]  equals  rudeshi  "deceived  him." 

129.  or  "the  world  does  not  continue  for  any  good  purpose,   he  is  as..." 


30 

B  130  0   bo}^   I   summon   you    to   that   which    will    profit    you.      Dost    thou    silently 

refuse  and  givest  no  answer  ? 
I    have   indeed   regarded   you   so   as    to    instruct  you ;    (my   words  of)   wisdom 

have  been  divided  well,  but  thou  hast  not  received  them. 
He    who    follows    the    path    of    the    evil    one,   listens    not    to    warning,    and 

receives  not  correction. 
He  whom  you  see  hastening  after  evil,  follow  him  not,  lest  you  become  evil. 
The   disciple   will   marry   one   who   is   a   disciple,   desire    not    that    he    should 

raise  up  children  from  an  abandoned  woman. 
135  I   desire   not   that   he   should   raise   up    children    from    an   abandoned    woman ; 

even  if  she  act  well,  she  does  not  act  as  an  adornment. 
The  washing  of  clothes  is  worthless,  apart  from  religion ;   that  which  is  useless 

is  worthless. 
The  child  of  the  ox  follows  not  horses ;    the  pupil  seeks  after  his  relations. 
The  disciple  takes  no  possessions  which  would  hinder  him  from  religion. 
You    fear   the    lightning   and  the  roar  of  the  thunder;    whoever  follows  a  bad 

woman,  he  and  she  will  perish  together. 
140  We   indeed    tell   you   this,   and   hide    it   not,   that   we   may   obtain    our    desire 

on  the  last  day. 
For   this   world   shall   come   utterly   to    an    end;    follow   it   not,    lest   you    lose 

on  the  last  day. 

It  deceives   and   overthrows   the    fool;    thou    slippest   confusedly  and  art  about 

to  fall. 
Flee  thou  then  until   there  be  no  return  ;   whoever  enters  it  becomes  diseased. 
It   would   fondle   you   and    hold   you    in    order    that    it    may   kick    you    away 

from  religion. 
145  It   enters   the    heart,   seeking  a  fixed  abode ;    thy  possessions  are  its  kingdom. 


130.  ^ASli  ddkili]  from  Ar.  J.5>  dakal  "to  hinder"  or  "to  forbid." 

131.  ^Ce'il*.  halamaku]  we  should  read  yC**^  alamaku  (cf.  MS.)  "your  in- 
struction." 

132.  Ijj>».  horo]  for  foro  "correction";  cf.  huda  lor  /uda,  line  85.  For  gama 
horo  we  should  perhaps  read  ga  maiforo  "he  sees  not  an  instructor." 

134.  lit.   "a  woman  disciple,  her  husband  a  disciple." 

^Jj  bani]  probably  from  Ar.   ^^  hand  "to  build  up." 

j^^vJ^  jujai]  lit.  "a  dunghill,"  an  expression  applied  to  a  woman  of  bad 
character  living  in  tilth. 

135.  LX»,  hallia]  meaning  of  word  and  of  sentence  somewhat  uncertain,  hallia 
may  be  for  halli  "disposition,"  "character,"  or  it  may  be  from  Ar.  iJU.  hali/at 
"  adornment." 


31 


B  130  Yaro  ina  kiranka  aga  anfani 
Ni  dai  ina  ganinka  halamaku 
Shi  wonda  ya  bi  turuba  shaitani 
Ya  wonda  ka  ga  na  zazari  banna 
Almajira  raijinta  almajir 

135  Ni  ba  na  so  ya  bani  yal  jujai 
Banza  kalai  kalai  ba  addini 
Dan  sanua  ba  shi  bi  dawdki  ba 
Almajiri  ba  shi  do  kaia  ba 
Ku  tsarchi  wolkia  tsawa  na  nan 

140  Mu  dai  muna  fadi  ba  mu  boiyi  ba 
Don  diinia  da  zata  ta  kaikdri 
Tana  rikichi  wawa  gichi 
Kai  dai  atsira  tun  ba  akoma  ba 
Ta  kan  yi  lalaba  da  ta  riskika 

145  Tana  shigga  a  zuchi  bidan  sabo 


ka  dakili  shiru  ba  ka  amsa  ba 
anraba  hankali  ba  ka  samu  ba 
ba  shin  ji  galkadi  ba  gama  horo 
kadda  ka  bishi  ku  zama  shaitanai 
kadda  ka  so  ya  bani  yal  jujai 
en  ta  yi  kiyo  ba  ta  yi  hallia  ba 
banza  abinda  ba  shi  da  anfani 
almajiri  shi  kan  bida  dengi  nai 
wonda  ka  hanna  masa  addini 
kowa  bi  fdsika  su  bachi  tari 
domin  mu  samu  huja  ran  g6bi 
kadda  ka  bita  ku  rubushi  g(5bi 
ka  kafia  damai  maiafkawa 
kowa  shigga  chiki  nata  ya  chiutu 
domi  ta  hanbarika  ga  addini 
da  dukiaka  ko  da  sarotata 


138.  \£»  ka]  should  be  ^£>  ki. 

139.  \SLi[» /dsika]  probably  from  Ar.  ^J^[3,  /dsik  "profligate."    In  several  Hausa 
words  borrowed  from  Arabic  the  ^J  k  appears  as  ^  k. 


140.  UkMft>   huja\   from  Ar.   4*.l».    hdjat   "desire"   or   "aflfixir."     In   line    10   it   is 
used  for  "reason." 

141.  y^j^^j-^  karkdri\  an  intensive  form  of  kdri  "  to  end." 

^/Ljj  rubii.shi\  apparently  equivalent  to  Ujj  rabita  "  lose  it,"  i.e.   the  world. 

142.  l-A^  kqfia]  properly  "to  slip  as  in  soft  mud." 

144.     i5^j    riskt]   a    strengthened    form    of   7-ike    "to    retain,"   or    it    may   be  for 
bw.  ruska,  cf.   line  G4,   "to  meet  with." 


32 

B         Consent   not   that   it   should   stay   for   a   day,   much  less  remain  over-night   in 

your  heart,  reject  it  and  drive  it  away. 
It  practises  deceit  in  order  that  it  may  commit  a  crime ;  it  takes  you  up  now 

in  order  to  make  you  fall. 
I  have  prudence  and  am  not  deceived,  I  see  not  a  well  to  fall  into. 
I  see  distinctly,  there  is  the  hyena,  how  can  it  bite  me  in  the  day-time  ? 
150  I  behold  the  water,  there  is  no  high  bank,  I  do  not  topple  over  so  as  to  fall. 
He  who  is  on  a  hill  sees  all  round ;  he  beholds  but  does  not  enter  the  pit. 
Look  carefully,   carefully  consider,  if  there  be   no   knowledge  there    is   no   dis- 
cernment. 
You  my  brethren,  listen,  and  pay  attention  ;   I  have  words  which  will  profit. 
For  much  loud  talking  is  superfluous ;    listen  not  to  it,  it  will  bring  no  profit, 
155  Thou    must   seek   knowledge    with    the    Mallams,   (if  thou    wouldest)    go    to    a 

future  world  which  will  be  of  advantage  to  thee. 
Leave   wealth   alone,  it   is   a   cause   of  trouble,   whether  it  be  obtained  or  not 

obtained. 
Search   diligently   for   that   which    excels   in    the    eyes    of    the   prudent   man ; 

search  after  knowledge  or  the  service  of  God  which  belongs  to  it. 
Thou   must  make  preparation   for   the   angel  of  death ;   death   causes   all   men 

to  lie  down. 
If  death    comes,   it    will   not   regard   a   kingdom,   not   even   a   Mallam,  neither 

him  nor  his  service. 
160  Still   less    an    ignorant    man,    who    is    of    no  use ;    it   will    snatch   him    away 

without   pity. 
You   my   brethren,   let   me    fear   lest   death    come    to   me   when    I    have    made 

no  preparation. 
I  have  a  strong  desire  to  go  on   the    pilgrimage,    to    go    to    Medina,    to   visit 

the   prophet. 
We  have  great  joy  and  gladness  secretly ;    may  God   bring  us   to  Mecca  that 

we  may  show  it  openly. 
We   make   the   circuit,    we    kiss   with    one    hand    the    stone,   we   drink    water 

from  the  well  Zemzem,  our  desire  is  accomplished. 

146.  jj  6em]  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  bale  A  44,   "much  less." 
jjjj  ymin]  is  "to  stay  at  a  place,"  or  "to  do  anything  till  sunset." 

147.  {S^jj  rurudi,  UC^sj^  dokaka\  intensive  forms  of  rudi  and  doka,  of.  line  141. 

154.  \^^^  fuJ/iilmvct\  "superfluous,"  from   Ar.  ^yjas  "to  be  superabundant." 

155.  ^\  anini\  for  anema,  an  imperative  form  of  nema  "to  seek." 
lakhircdku\    ku   may   either   be  referred   back    to    lakhira  or  we  may   read  ku   da 

anfdni  "you  have  advantage." 

158.     \^\j,^   mairabiwaj   "he  who    separates,"    an    epithet   applied    to   the   angel 
of  death. 


33 


B         Kadda  ka  so  yininta  berri  kwana 
Tana  da  rurudi  don  ta  yi  zanba 
Ina  da  hankali  ba  rudi  ba 
Ina  gani  sarai  kura  gata 

150  Ina  gani  rua  ba  gefi  ba 

Shi  wonda  ki  tudu  na  dorarai 
Duba  sarai  sarai  kai  dai  duba 
Ku  yan  uwa  ku  ji  ku  sorara 
Domin  yawan  dummi  na  fujuluwa 

15s  Kai  dai  anim  shinni  gun  mallamai 
Ku  berta  dukia  wahalla  ki  na 
Tsururin  da  ya  fi  ga  mailura 
Kai  ayi  ta  g6zuri  mairabiwa 
En  ta  tafFo  ban  tan  ga  sarota  ba 

160  Bershi  fa  jahili  mutum  wofi 
Kai  yan  uwa  ku  berni  ina  tsoro 
Guri  gareni  en  taffi  haji  ni 
Muna  da  kalkali  murna  boiyi 
Mu  yi  kewoiyi  muna  sunban  dutsi 


ga  zuchianka  kita  ka  koreta 

ta  dokakaka  yanzu  ta  gochima 

ba  ni  ga  rijia  on  fada  ba 

da  rana  ka(ka)  ta  ka(n)  yi  ta  chiji  ni 

ba  ni  yi  kunduma  en  fada  ba 

shina  gani  ba  shi  shigga  rami  ba 

en  ba  shinni  ba  anyi  basira  ba 

ina  da  aljama  maianMni 

kadda  ka  jishi  ba  shi  da  anfani 

ku  je  ku  lakhiralku  da  anfani 

yala  ta  samu  ko  ba  ta  samuwa  ba 

neman  shinni  ko  da  ibada  tas 

taro  matata  maida  mutum  kwanchi 

hal  mallami  da  shi  da  ibada  tai 

ta  kan  zareshi  ba  ko  da  tausai 

kadda  ta  zo  gareni  ban  shiria  ba 

en  je  madina  en  yi  ziarata 

allah  shi  kaimu  mekka  mu  budeta 

mu  sha  rua  a  zamzamu  guri  ya  yi 


162.  iSljLjj  ziarata]  from  Ar.  SjUj  ziydrat  "a  pilgrimage"  or  "visit  to  a  shrine." 

163.  j^^JUJLS  kalkaW]  "delight,"  probably  from  Ar.  oJUJLI  kalkalat  "agitation." 

164.  iti»^i  dutsi]  The  famous  black  stone  built  into  the  outside  of  the  Kaaba, 
said  to  have  been  given  to  Abraham  by  the  angel  Gabriel.  Its  colour  is  supposed 
to  have  been  originally  white  and  to  have  become  black  by  reason  of  the  sins 
of  the  pilgrims  who  have  kissed  it. 

vftj^j    zamzamu]   The  well   Zemzem,    the   water   of  which  is  drunk  by  the  pilgrims 
as  a  cure  for  all  diseases.     It  is  supposed  to  be  the  well  discovered  by  Hagar. 
R.  H.  5 


34 

B  165  O    my   lord,   thee    I    supplicate ;    may    God   bring   us   to   Mecca,    this    is    our 

strong   desire. 
The    pilgrims    that    are    with    you    I    pray,    wait    a   little    while    for   me,    let   us 

go   together. 
The    town    of  Medina  is  ever  full  of   light,  it  is  the  city  of  the  son  of  Amina, 

with  beautiful  porches. 
We   will   perform    our    religious   duties,    we    will    make   ready ;    we   will    go   to 

Medina,  to   salute   (the   prophet). 
It    is    a   prosperous   place,    it    has    clouds    of  incense,    it    has   the    tomb    of   the 

prophet,  a  thing  to  be  loved. 
170  Behold    his   tomb,    behold    the   tomb   of    (Abubekr),    the    father   of    Endo    and 

Asman,  behold  the  tomb  of  (Omaru)  the  father  of  Hafsi. 
Let   me   crawl,    let    me   place    my    face   on    the   ground ;    within   and  behind,  I 

will  not  decrease  even  the  edge. 
I   salute,  I  increase  my  salutations,  I  pray,  I  thank  indeed. 
Our  salvation  is  the  Lord,  and  our  trust  is  in  Him ;   He  gave  us  our  prophet, 

one  to  be  loved. 
He    gave     us    his    relations,    his    friends,    and     his    followers,     even    to    the 

present   time. 

I  have  forgotten  the  end  of  this  foreign  book. 


165.  Ujj  r^ibbmia]  i.e.   Mohammed. 

166.  Ua»AR.«  muhajata]  a  shortened  form  of  UaiJh......^  masuhajata  "pilgrims." 

167.  jj>s-6t  ^^i  dan  Amino]  Amina  was  the  mother  of  Mohammed;  this  is 
the  title  by  which  the  Prophet  is  most  commonly  addressed. 

Medina,  the  burial-place  of  the  Prophet,  lies  about  twelve  days'  journey  to  the  north 
of  Mecca.  A  visit  to  the  Prophet's  tomb  is  not  regarded  as  an  essential  part  of 
the  pilgrimage,  but  as  a  highly  meritorious  action  whereby  many  sins  may  be 
expiated. 

j_;tj^*j  sorayi\  a  plural  form  of  \$j^  soro  "  a  porch." 

169.  ^^    ni'am]     Ar.    "favours,"  i.e.  divine  favours. 

170.  jjUft  endo]  Abubekr's  two  daughters  were  Asma  and  Ayesha,  endo  must 
therefore  be  intended  for  the  latter. 


35 


B  165  Ya  rubbana  gareka  na  ki  roko 
Muhajata  garinku  na  ki  roko 
Birni  madina  maihaski  tutut 
Mil  bada  farilinmu  mu  zazagi 
Tana  ni'am  tana  habakal  kamshi 
170  Ga  kabarinsa  ga  na  iiban  endo 
En  rarafi  ina  aza  huskata 
Ina  gaisua  ina  deddi  karawa 
Tsiran  ubangiji  da  aminchinai 
Shi  baia  alih  da  sahabai  nai 


allah  shi  kaimu  mokka  muna  kamna 

ku  yi  mani  jinkiri  amuje  tari 

ta  dan  araina  maikiyo  sorayi 

zua  madina  zamu  ziara  nai 

na  kabari  annabiu  abin  kamna 

da  asman  ga  na  uba  hafsi 

chiki  da  bai  ba  ni  ragi  kauyi  ba 

ina  addua  ina  shukra  kadai 

shi  baia  annabimu  abin  kamna 

da  tabiina  hal  ya  zua  yanzu 


na  manta  kamal  kitaba  al'ajami. 


hafsi]  i.e.   Haphsa  the  daughter  of  Omar  and  wife  of  Mohammed. 
The    mosque    which    contains    the    tomb    of    Mohammed    contains   also    the    tombs 
of  Abubekr,  Omar,  and  Fatima. 

171.  i.e.   "  I  will  go  to  every  part  of  the  sepulchre,  omitting  nothing." 

172.  I^Xw  slmkrcc]  Ar.  jXw  shakar  "to  thank." 

According  to  a  traditional  saying  of  the  Prophet  "one  prayer  in  this  my 
mosque  is  more  efficacious  than  a  thousand  in  other  places,  save  only  the 
Masjid-el-Harim  "  (i.e.   the  mosque  at  Mecca)." 

174.     4JI  alih]  Ar.   "his  family." 

The    note    which    is   written    round   the   illustration   apparently   indicates   that  the 
transcriber  had  forgotten  the  concluding  part  of  the  poem. 
J-o^  kamal]  Ar.   "to  be  finished." 

'ajami]  from  Ar.  ^,,,^^   'ujam  "foreigners,"  i.e.  not  Arabs. 


POEM  C. 

This  is  the  work  of  a  foreign  poet. 

0  Lord,   I    the    son    of    a   weak    slave,    supplicate   Thee    that    Thou    wouldst 

save  me  from  the  evil  of  the  world. 
The   evil   which   catches   even   its   swift   runners,   much  more  the  man  in  this 

world  who  is  halt  and  blind. 
It   seizes   upon   Mallams,   much   more   upon   the   ignorant   man ;    O    Lord  save 

me  that  the  evil  come  not  to  me. 

1  know  not,  I  am  myself  seeking  to  find ;    whoever  works  without  knowledge, 

works  uselessly. 
5  The  son  of  the  ignorant  is  a  beast  and  a  fool,  he  destroys  himself,  he  knows 

nothing  in  the  world. 
The   son  of  the  ignorant  is  a  corpse,  even  before  he  is  dead ;   his  craft  during 

his  sojourning  on  earth  is  in  vain. 
If  it  be  said  to  him.  Rise  and  seek  knowledge,  he  would  say  Wait  till  I  am 

old,  till  indeed  he  would  refuse  altogether. 
He   has   grown   old,   but   finds   difficulty   in    seeking    after   knowledge ;    like   a 

boy  he  would  continue  seeking  after  this  world. 
He   has   made   no  preparation  for  heaven ;    he  directs  his  desires  towards  this 

vain  world, 
lo  He  dislikes  to  talk  much  about  the  next  world;   he  rejects  the  mercy  of  the 

living  One. 

The  author  of  this  poem  was  Halilu  (cf.  line  43),  who  is  to  be  identified  with 
Liman  Chidia,  the  author  of  A.  He  was  a  disciple  of  Shahuni  of  Sanusi.  His 
father  was  Sidi  Muktari  of  Rima,  his  mother  was  a  concubine  named  Zainabu. 

It  consists  of  :  Prayer  for  deliverance  from  the  evil  of  this  world,  1 — 3  ;  the 
character  of  the  ignorant  man,  4 — 14;  transitoriness  of  this  life,  15 — 17;  the 
world  is  like  a  deceitful  woman,  18 — 25;  the  cause  of  life-long  sorrow,  26 — 30; 
her  hostility  is  specially  directed  against  the  Mallams,  31 — 33  ;  how  to  escape 
from  her  power,  34 — 39 ;  prayer  that  blessing  may  rest  upon  the  author  and  his 
relations  and  his  teacher,  Shahu,  40 — 49  ;  salutations  addressed  to  Mohammed,  who 
was  a  pattern  of  unselfishness,   50 — 55. 

The  inscription  at  the  head  of  the  poem  is  in  Arabic ;  for  use  of  ^-.o^atjOt 
al'ajaml  "  foreign "  cf.   B,  concluding  note. 

1.  i«**«3  Idiji]  from  Ar.  *-ft*3u»  "weak,"  the  Arabic  ^,  which  is  always  pro- 
nounced I  by  the  Hausas,  is  here  supplanted  by  J   I,   cf.  line  36. 


POEM  C. 

wa  haza  alkitabu  sha'iri  al'ajami 

Ya  rabbi  dan  bavva  laifi  na  barra  domin  ka  tsarshani  ga  zanba  dunia 

Zanbata  da  ta  ruski  masugudu  nata  balatana  gurgu  makafo  diinia 

Ita  kama  mallamai  berri  ni  jahili  ya  rabbi  tarshan  kadda   ta  kan  mani 

diinia 

Ni  ban  sani  ba  bida  ni  kaina  en  samasa  kowa  yi  aiki  ba  sani  ya  sunkwia 

5  Dan  jahili  dabba  fa  ni  wawa  fa  ni  ya  tsotsi  kai  nasa  bai  sani  ba  ga  diinia 

Dan  jahili  gawa  fa  ni  tun  bai  mutu  wayansa  banza  ni  zamansa  na  diinia 

Kur  ankache  masa  tashi  kai  ta  bida  sani  ashitsi  dada  mun  tsufa  har  shi  ya  kia 

Ya  tsofi  kai  nasa  dan  wuya  ta  bida  sani  yaro  shi  kan  zama  gun  bida  gata  diinia 

Shi  ba  shi  yin  giizuri  ga  aljenna  tasa  ya  maida  karnna  tai  ga  banza  diinia 

10  Ya  sakiya  ya  maiyawa  fji  ga  lakhira  ya  yenki  kamnata  ga  jinkai  niaihaya 


3.  lit.  "O  Lord  save,  lest  the  world  to  me."  It  will  be  noticed  that  38  out 
of  the  55  lines  in  this  poem  end  with  UJ33  dunia  "world,"  cf.  Ar.  LJ^  dunya. 

5.  bi  dabba]  "a  beast,"  probably  from  Ar.  SjI>  ddbbat  "an  animal  that 
crawls  or  moves  slowly." 

w-'tlry  kai  nasa]  "himself,"  lit.  "his  head,"  cf.  id  kaina  "I  myself"  in  previous 
line. 

7.  ijla^'  ashitsi]  apparently  for  ijiid  ashiche,  which  is  an  irregular  passive 
formation  from  ^.j  che   "  to  say,"  with  the  personal  pronoun  shi  prefixed. 

8.  lit.  "  he  has  grown  old  himself,  the  child  of  trouble  in  seeking  after 
knowledge,  a  boy  he  would  be  in  the  place  of  search  for  this  world " ;  the  exact 
sense  is  somewhat  uncertain. 

10.  Ljh.;.»  maihaya]  "the  living  One,"  i.e.  God,  from  Ar.  ^-^  hay  "to  live," 
with   Hausa  prefix. 


38 

He   knows   not   the   place  of  the   resurrection,   he   chooses   it   (i.e.   the   world), 

he  unties  his  goods  on  the  plain  of  this  world. 
He  has  not  known  how  to  bow  in  salutation  in  this  world ;   he  has  continued 

squatting  down  in  this  world. 
Alas    thou    fool,   we   pity   thee    here,    tie    up   thy   goods,   we   shall   arise   (and 

leave)  this  world. 
He   knew   not   that    his   life    was   about  to   be   taken   away ;    his   thought   was 

of  continuing  in  this  world. 
15  Where   is   a    state   of    continuance    in    this   world?    behold    the    fool,   see   his 

funeral  in  this  world. 
The   fool   would   say.   This    world    is   a   virgin    child ;    the   wise   man   perceives 

that  the  world  is  old. 
The  wise  man  is  a  good  friend,  he  would  show  to  us  the  course  of  this  world. 
If  she  (the  world)  see  thee,  she  covers  up  her  face,  she  acts  deceitfully ;   (the 

fool)  would  say,  Come  thou  virgin  child  with  beautiful  neck. 
If  she  comes  she  takes  away  her  veil,  you  see  that  she   is  old,  that  she  has 

(no  flesh),  nothing  but  veins. 
20  When  thou  perceivest  her   age   thou  wouldest   say  to   her,  Depart  from  here ; 

she  would  say  to  thee,  Thou  liest,  we  will  unite  together. 
If  she   unites   to   thee,   she    will   continue   to   stick   like  gum ;    in  every   such 

union  there  is  no  satisfactory  parting. 
If  she  make   an   agreement   with   thee,   she   will    not   fulfil   it ;    whoever   thou 

art  that  love  her,  she,  the  earth,  rejects  such. 
If  she   make   an   agi'eement   with   thee    she   will    make    objection    to    it ;    she 

makes  everyone  you  know  to  deviate  (from  the  right  way). 
If  she   give   thee   goods,  she  will  snatch  them  away ;   if  she  give  thee  health 

be  afraid  of  her  character. 
25  If  perchance  she  give  thee  offspring,  she  will  snatch  it  away ;   you  know  that 

every  one  must  die. 
If  perchance   a   kingdom   be   yours,   be   afraid    of    her ;    the  day  of  thy  union 

with  the  world  is  not  auspicious. 


12.     Both    transliteration    and    meaning    obscui'e.     For    a    kaia    nan   we    should 
perhaps  read  akanyi  nan  or  alcan  yaya  nan. 

jijip  turabi]  cf.  V.  form  of  Ar.    ajj  raha''  "to  sit  down  cross-legged  squarely." 

15.     ic^l  atsiki\  for  i-Jul  achiki,  line  12,   "within." 

18.     jjj^^to  maku7'i]  probably  from  Ar.  j^\»c  mdkir  "an  impostor." 

y^  taho]  =  ^su  taffo  "come." 

L^>^5  kiirkia'\  "  virgin,"  probably  a  Fulah  word. 

b^^-Cj^  maiki  ivuya]  should  be  Uj  ^C>.»  maikiyo  vyuya  "with  beautiful  neck." 


39 

Bai  sail  gidda  na  chiri  ba  ni  ya  zabesa  ya  kunchi  kaia  iiai  ga  fili  diinia 

Bai  san  tsugiui  a  kaia  nan  achiki  nata  yai  zamna  ya  yi  turabi  nan  dunia 

Kaito  ka  wawa  kai  mu  ki  tausai  nana  kai  darana  kaia  zaniu  tashi  dunia 

Bai  san  da  ra  nai  za  akarbiwa  tasa  shi  tamaha  tasa  dawama  nana  dunia 

15  Ina  da  zama  na  dawama  atsiki  nata  kai  nuri  wawa  ga  kufanwa  su  dunia 

Wawa  ka  chewa  yal  budurua  diiiiia  maihankali  kan  gaiii  tsofal  dunia 

Maihankali  shi  yi  aboki  salihi  shi  kan  goda  muna  takitaki  dunia 

Kan  ta  gaiieka  ta  lulubi  ita  makuri  akache  taho  yal  kurkia  niaiki  wuya 

Ell  ta  taho  ta  kori  tsanan  nan  duka  ka  ga  tsofua  tse  sai  jiwoji  dunia 

20  En  ka  ga  tsofa  nan  ka  che  mata  kau  nana  atatse  da  kai  karia  ka  ki  niun  garwaya 

En  ta  ganio  fa  da  kai  dada  danko  liko  kul  ta  rika  dada  ba  rabo  (a  da  lafia 

En    ta   yi   alkaueli   da   kai   fa    ba   tan  kowa  ka  so  nata  shi  ta  ki  ki  dunia 
tsikashi  ba 

En  ta  yi  alkaueli  da  kai  ita  walwali  kun  sani  tana  baudiwa  kowa  dunia 

En  dukia  ta  baka  amshiwa  ta  ka  yi  en  lafia  ta  baka  tsorchi  halli  nata  dunia 

25  En  ko  dia  ta  baka  amshiwa  ta  ka  yi  ku  sani  fa  kowa  na  da  ajali  dunia 

En  ko  sarota  a  gareka  ka  tsoro  tata  ranan  gamun  ku  da  dunia  ba  lafia 


20.  ^^j^    c/arwayci]    may  either    be    the    Hausa   gariwoya    "  to    knead    together," 
or  it  may  be  from  Ar.  ^^j-^  garwa  "eager  desire  for." 

22.  jJ^ilLc  alkaueli\  should  be  written  i<l>ft3l  from  Ar.   J^S  kauJ   "  agreement." 

23.  i^^3  wahvali\  from  Ar.  ^^^  ivahval  "  to  complain  of,"  or  "  to  curse." 

24.  _5j<^'  amshiwa]  "snatched  away,"  we  should  perliaps  read  j«.i«el  amsh'iioa, 
cf.  Ar.  %M  uiasha'  "  to  carry  off." 

25.  iJ^I  ajali]  from  Ar.  ^^^\  ajal  "  destiny." 


40 

Moreover  there  is   no  joy  on    the   day  of  entry  into   the  world ;    there  is  too 

no  joy  on  the  day  of  departing  from  the  world. 
Behold  the  infant   on   the   day  of  its  birth ;   it   cries   on  the  day  on  which  it 

enters  into  the  world. 
Look   at   a   corpse  on  the  day  on  which   the  dead  man  sets  out  for   the  next 

world ;   we  lament  over  him  because  he  has  parted  from  this  world. 
30  If  we   know   that   the   dead   man   knows   that   he   is  forgiven,  we  give  thanks 

for  him  because  he  has  parted  from  the  world. 
The  world  undertakes  wars  with  the  Mallams ;   she  is  an  ignorant  slave. 
She   mutters   and    speaks   evil   of  a   Mallam ;    she   shows   her   strength   to   the 

ignorant. 
She   advances   unseen   to   fight   with   a   Mallam ;    but   she   seizes    the   child   of 

ignorance  by  the  neck. 
Whoever   desires   to   escape,  being  at  war  with  her,  must  abandon  everything 

in   this  world, 
35  Except  his  food  and  drink  and  clothing,  do  you  understand  ?    thou  must  seek 

for  nothing  in  this  world   but  clothing. 
Leave  off  arrogance,  flee    from   him  who  practises  it ;  whoever  practises  it  will 

not  obtain  salvation,  hearken  to  this. 
Cleave   to   prayer,    visit   and   salute   the  Mallams ;   cleave  to   the   invocation  of 

God,  it  will  save  anyone  in  this  world. 
These   are   as  swords   to    the    believers,   a    preparation    for    fighting,   for    (the 

believer)  trusts  not  in  anything  in  this  world. 
Whoever   follows   lust   and    desire,   obtains   them,   much   more   he   who   desires 

the  possessions  of  this  world. 
40  O  Lord,  to   Thee   do   we   pray,  save   me   in  the   future  world ;   Thou  guardest 

the  son  of  Thy  slave  from  the  evil  of  this  world. 
Do  Thou  guard  both  my  mother  and  my  father;  guard  my  relations  from  the 

evil  of  this  world. 


27.    J  ra]  a  contraction  for  ^Ij  rana  "  day "  as  in  previous  line. 
30.    jilfi  ffdfara]  from  Ar.  jii  gafar  "  to  pardon." 

32.  Translation  somewhat  uncertain;  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  for  ^^  dunu 
we  should  read  jJi  dundu.  This  may  perhaps  come  from  Ar.  ^jJ^  dandan  "  to 
mumble,"  or  "  to  speak  unintelligibly." 

j-^li  zaini\  probably  from  Ar.  ^ti  zdm  "  to  blame." 

33.  IjUjW  ^ciicL  baia]  lit.  "  behind,  behind,"  an  expi'ession  applied  to  a  cat 
creeping  up  behind  a  mouse. 

^j>jijj     tari    da    sa\    for    tari  da  shi    "meets    with    him,"    or    taridasa    may    be 
another  form  of  tarasda ;    the  meaning  will  be  the  same  in  either  case. 
35.     IfaJ  nasJui]  shortened  for  l£jjt  ahinsha  "drink." 


41 

C         Kuma  babu  murna  ra  shiggowa  dunia  kuma  babu  murna  ra  fita  daga  diinia 

Duba  ga  jariri  fa  randa  (a)kahaifesa  kuka  shika  yi  mata  ra  shiggowa  dunia 

Duba  ga  gawa  ra  maraita  lakhira  kuka  mu  kai  mata  don  rabanta  da  d6nia 

30  Enda  muna  da  sani  ta  ka  san  gafara  barka  mu  kai  mata  don  rabanta  da  dunia 

Ita  doki  yakoki  ta  kai  gun  mallamai  don  jahili  bawa  ta  ni  ita  dunia 

Dunu  ta  kai  zami  takan  che  na  mallami  karfi  ta  kan  goda  jahili  ita  dunia 

Da  baia  baia  ta  ki  fada  da  mallami  dan  jahili  saiko  tari  da  sa  gun  wuya 

Kovva  ki  so  shi  fichi  maiyako  ki  nata  ashiyerda  komi  nan  ga  dakin  diinia 

35  Saiko  abinchi  nai  nasha  nasa  kun  jia  saiko  tufa  ka  bida  ga  dakin  dunia 

Akuber  fululu  ka  zan  gudun  maiyin  nasa  kowa  ka  yi  nasa  ba  shi  tsira  akunjia 

Ku  riki  sallati  ka  zan  ziara  mallamai  riki  en  zikir  chi  ki  rukun  kowa  ga  dunia 

Su  ni  takuba  mumini  na  shirin  fada  don  bai  amuntsiwa  ga  kowa  dunia 

Kowa  ka  bin  shawa  da  guri  sun  gamu  bale  fa  maison  dukaka  nan  dunia 

40  Ya  rabbi  mun  roki  ka  tsira  lakhira  ka  tsarima  dan  bawanka  zanba  diinia 

Ka  tsara  uwanan  har  ubanan  su  duka  akatsar  da  dengimu  ga  zanba  dunia 


36.  J^  fululu]  from  Ar.  Jj-as  "arrogant"  or  "exaggerated,"  cf.  B  154; 
for  similar  interchange  of  ^ji  and  ^  cf.  line   1. 

37.  ^5  j^j  zikir  cW]  should  be  ^  j^i  zikir  shi;  for  meaning  of  zikir  cf. 
B  88,  note. 

38.  L5--8>«  mumini]  Ar.   sj^y^  miimin  "a  true  believer." 

^Ja-Ul  aviuntsiivci]  usually  written  ^*iul  amunchiwa  "confidence,"  from  Ar. 
jj^l  dman  "  to  trust,"  with  Hausa  nominal  suffix. 

39.  UC£9ji  dukaka]  a  plural  form  of  L^ji  dukia  "possessions";  cf.  E  35. 

lit.  "whoever  follows  lust  and  desire,  they  meet  with  (him)."  The  sense  is 
somewhat  obscure;  perhaps  for  \^^  ga7nu  "meet  with"  we  should  read  \^  kamu 
"  seize  upon." 

R.  H.  (^ 


42 

Guard  the  relations  of  the  prophet  Mohammed,  if  they  follow  the  law  of  Him 

who  made  the  world. 
This  song  is   the  work  of  Halilu,  a  disciple  of  Shaikhu  of  Sanusia. 
The    relations   of  his   mother  all  belong  to  his  own  town,   the  relations  of  his 

father  are  men  of  Rima,  do  ye  hear  ? 
45  He  was  the  son  of  a   concubine,  his   mother's   name  was   Zainabu  ;    the  name 

of  his  father  was  Sidi  Muktari,  do  ye  hear  ? 
God  is  the  king  of  all.  He  follows  them  with  kindness,  wherefore  may  Shaikhu 

of  Sanusi  obtain  favour  from  Him. 

0  Lord,   tell   Sanusi   that  I  who   am   here   on   earth,  who   am   a  child  of  the 

future  world,  that  he  may  know  that  I  ask  a  favour  on  behalf  of  his  city. 

1  make   ready   my  gift   for   Shaikhu  of  Sanusi  while  I  am  on  earth,  Shaikhu 

would  receive  anyone,  much  more  would  he  receive  me. 
Praise   be   to   God,   we    continue    to    render   thanks   before    the    glorious   King 

who  made  the  world. 
50  After  that  we  salute  the  prophet,  the  chosen  one,  the  husband  of  Hadija,  he 

who  refused  the  things  of  the  world. 
To    him   was   given   everything   in   the  world,  he  looked  not  back  at  it,  much 

less  did  he  fix  his  attention  upon  it. 
It   is   said   that    stones    became    riches    for    him,   for    he    cared    not    for    the 

merchandise  of  earth. 
He   took    upon   himself  poverty,   it    was   better   to   him    than   wealth,   that   all 

his  people  might  look   at  him,  that   we  may  follow  his  example. 
He  who  follows   in  the  way  of  Him    who    made  the  world.  He  will  save  him 

so  that  he  shall  not  see  pain. 
55  With   the   praise   of    God   is   this   song    completely   filled,   before    the   glorious 

God  who  made  the  world. 


42.    ^^1    aluma]    "relations,"   from    Ar.  ^^    '■amm,    lit.    "an   uncle." 
44.     3A*i)l    alahua\    explained    by  Abd-el-Kadr  as  *'  belonging  to  the  same  town." 
Possibly  the  reading  should  be  ^^*9t  alaldu,  Ar.   "  members  of  a  family." 

46.  For  ii  dud  we  should  read  j)^  duk  "all." 

^JL^    shifii]    so    line    48 ;    cf.    lines    43    and    48,   where    it   is    spelt    ^*ti   shaikhu. 
Possibly  shaikhu  should  be  taken  as  a  title,  i.e.   "  Sheikh." 

47.  jUw  satida^  for  jL...i;...'  sanasda  "to   teach." 


43 

C         Akatsara  da  aluma  nabiu  muhammadu  en  sun  bi  siinna  wanda  yaiwo  addiinia 

Waka  ga  dan  bawa  halilu  fa  ya  yita  almajirin  kua  shaikhu  ni  fn  sanusia 

Dengin  iiwa  tasa  du  suna  alahua  dengin  iiba  nasa  ritnatawa  kun  jia 

45  Shi  dan  wahaia  ni  uwa  tasa  zainabu  sunan  uba  nasa  sidi  almiikhtari  kun  jia 

Allahu  sarki  dud  ya  bisu  da  gafara  domin  fa  shifu  sanusi  shina  waiwaia 

Ya  rabbi  sanda  sanusi  ni  nan  dunia  dan  lakhira  fa  shi  san  gari   ni  dogara 

Na  shiria  kaiana  ga  shifu  sanusi   tuna  ya  doki  kowa  shaikhu  balante  nia 
na  dunia 

Alhamdu  lillahi  muna  dada  godia  gun  jalla  sarki  wada  yaiwo  dunia 

5°  Chuma  sallatu  ala  nabiu  almustsafa  gorzo  nan  hadijatu  wonda  ya  ki  ta  dunia 

Shi  ankaba  komi  ga  dakin  dunia  ba  waiwaia  ba  bale  shi  duba  ta  dunia 

Anche  duwatsu  sun  zamai  masa  dukia  domin  bukata  bai  kulla  ba  ga  dunia 

Ya  do  talauchi  ya  fiya  masa  dukia  don  jamaa  tasa  aiku  lura  ta  mu  yi  bia 

Kowa  bi  suna  wada  yaiwo  addunia  ya  tsira  ba  shi  gani  gazaba  kun  jia 

55  Tammat  bihamdi  allahi  waka  ta  achika  gun  jalla  sarki  wada  yaiwo  dunia 


,j*»3-w  sanusi^  i.e.   "  the  founder  of  the  city  called  after  himself." 
\^j£-  gari  ni]  or  we  should  perhaps  read  gm-eyii  "to  me." 

49.  Ij-»j  ij  wada  yaiwo]   for  tj^  juj  tvonda  ya  yiwo  :    cf.  line  42. 

50.  The  first  half  of  this  line  is  in  Arabic. 

'iji.  gorzo\  lit.  "a  man  of  strength,"  here  apparently  means  "husband." 

54.  bljki  gazdha]  for  UIJ**  'azdba  "pain,"  Ar.  w»IJi^   'azdb. 

55.  CvoiJ  fammat]  from  Ar.  ^  tamni  "to  complete." 


POEM  Ɗ. 

D        In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful,  may  God  bless  our  lord 
Mohammed  and  his  relations  and  his  friends,  and  peace  be  (upon  them). 

This  is  written  for  the  instruction  of  my  relations. 

In   the  name  of  God,  God  is  the  beginning  of  my  writing.  His  name  is  God, 

from  Him  is  the  beginning  of  work. 
O   God,   my   Lord,   grant   us   prosperity,  we   utter  invocations,  we  offer   suppli- 
cations and  prayers. 
0   God,   creator  and  sustainer  of  thy  servants,  O  my  Lord  who  art  worshipped 

and  rulest  over  the  kingdom. 
O    God,   prepare   us   that   we   may   work   successfully,    let    us    not    fail    or    do 

that  which  is  unfitting. 
5  We    will    speak   out,   if  there   is   anyone    to    listen    to    our  words ;   that  which 

you  hear  cast  not  away. 
Ye   too   O  women,  my  disciples,  do   you   show   diligence ;    invoke  the   name  of 

God  and  offer  supplications  and  prayers. 
Put  far  away  and  leave  off  false  dealing,  leave  off  whispering,  leave  off  jealousy 

and  tale-bearing. 

The  author  of  this  poem,  as  also  of  B,  was  a  Mallam  named  Mohammed  who 
lived  at  Birnin  Gwari  between  Kano  and  Bida.  It  consists  of :  Prayer  for  divine 
assistance,  1 — 4 ;  exhortation  to  pray  and  to  prepare  for  the  coming  judgment,  5 — 9 ; 
true  and  false  repentance,  10 — 12;  description  of  the  torments  of  hell,  13 — 17; 
exhortation  to  true  repentance,  18 — 21;  to  prayer,  22 — ^26;  and  to  seek  for  the 
knowledge  of  God,  27 — 35;  the  journey  from  this  world  to  the  next,  36 — 38; 
the  examination  which  will  be  held  in  the  tomb,  39 — 46 ;  general  exhortations 
to  serve  God,  47—56;  all  shall  be  gathered  together  at  the  resurrection,  57 — 61; 
when  the  wicked  shall  be  tormented,  62 — 68 ;  and  men  and  angels  shall  be  judged, 
69 — -74 ;  prayer  for  salvation  through  Mohammed,  75 — 79  ;  the  necessity  of  making- 
preparation  for  the  future,  80 — 95;  prayer  for  the  obtaining  of  salvation,  96 — 99; 
ascription  of  praise  to  God,   100 — 101. 

It  should  be  noticed  that  throughout  this  poem  j  ch  is  constantly  substituted 
for  is  ts ;  in  the  transliteration  I  have  written  ch  throughout  for  the  sake  of 
uniformity.  Words  in  this  poem  not  found  in  the  dictionary  under  5  ch  should 
be  looked  for  under  h  ts. 

The  introductory  lines  are  in  Arabic,  the  word  written  above  the  line  in  the 
MS.  l^JL..J  tasliman  "  the  act  of  saluting,"  is  apparently  intended  as  an  emen- 
dation for  ^flJ~»  scdaman  "  peace." 

iljJI  alrata  lituansub]  this  was   explained   by   Abd-el-Kadr  as   "  for   the 


POEM   Ɗ. 

D         Bismi  allahi  alrahmani  alrahimi  salla  allahu  ala  saydina  muhammadin  wa  alihi 

wa  sahbihi  wa  salaman  tasliman 

haz  alkitab  alrata  limansub 

Bismi  allahi  allah  farawa  na  karatu  suna  ni  na  allah  dakanan  fara  aiki 

Ya  allah  rabbi  ka  bam  a  gamu  katerta      muna  zikir  muna  addua  muna  sallati 

Ya  allah  ya  khaliku  ya  arziki  bai  ma'abudu  ya  rabbana  sarki  sarota 

Ya  allah  ka  shiriamu  niu  yi  aiki  sawaba      kadda  mu  kurkura  mu  yi  abinda  ba  shi 

kama  ba 

5  Zamu  fa  haddichi  ni  akan  majia  kalami       ba  wonan  da  kan  jishi  ba  shi  kalkadi  ba 

To  matamu  almajiri  akumaida  himma       kuna  zikri  kuna  addua  kuna  sallati 

Akuyi  nesa  ku  ber  kai  da  kawowa  na      ku  berta  radda  ku  ber  hasada  da  anan- 
karia  minchi 

instruction  of  relations " ;  the  words  are  not  genuine  Arabic  still  less  Hausa. 
w>^-~i«  may  be  an  incorrect  derivative  from  Ar.  ^,,*~»J  nasah  "family"  or  "pedigree." 
wUtpf  alrata  may  possibly  be  from  Ar.  ac_5j  rau^at  "fear,"  or  from  Ar.  ^-c.  ?•«'« 
"to  watch   ovei',"  but  the  form  is  in  either  case  quite  in-egular. 

1.  jj>i^3  dakanan^  should    be    ^^j^^  daganan  "thence." 

2.  U;J^    katerta^    or    we    should    perhaps    read    \.jjJi£s    kacherta    "  abundance," 
probably  from  Ar.   oji£s. 

3.  j3JjI  arzikV^  "giver  of   sustenance,"  from  Ar.   ^jj  razak. 
^_j  bai^   a   plural  of    \^  batva  "a   slave." 

iyAA  m,a'abudu'\  Ar.   "  worshipped." 

4.  wj'^-o  fiaivaba'\  Ar.   "  that  which  is  right." 

\j^j^  kurkural^  for   tj,C..^  kuskura ;    lit.    "  to  n»iss  the  mark  in  shooting." 

5.  w«oj*^.  haddichi]  cf.   11.  form  of  Ar.   ^j,^  "  to  explain." 

6.  l«A  himnia\  cf.  Ar.   a^  himmat  "solicitude." 

7.  lit.     "put    far    from    you     and     give    up     taking    away    and     bringing     l)ack 
deceitfully." 


46 

D        Be   afraid,   there   is    a    day   of    meeting    between    us   and    God;    on   that   day 

whatever  you  are  within  shall  be  revealed. 
Wherever   there    is   any   secret,  any   secret  thieving,  any  envying,    on   that  day 

there  shall  be  confusion,  he  will  say  that  he  did  it  not. 
lo  My   friend,   repent    truly   and    leave   off    falsehood,   leave   off    deceit,   leave    off 

drinking  gia  and  bam  and  buza. 
Repent   to   God,  leave   off  repenting  like  a  wild   cat;   it  repents  with  the  fowl 

in  its  mouth,  it  puts  it  not  down. 
He   who   repents   like  a   wild   cat   shall   indeed   have  nothing  but   evil,   stripes 

and  chains. 
He   shall   be   bound   with   his   hands   behind,   he   shall    be    dragged    backwards 

and  forwards,  the  fire  shall  include  everything,  there  shall  be  no  end  to  it. 
He   shall   be  dragged  and  beaten  till  the  pain  causes  a  swelling  on  the  back; 

in  the  fire  is  squeezing,  faintness  and  great  pain. 
15  He   cries,   he   gasps    for  breath,  pain  bows  him  down,  it  strikes  him  frequently 

(as  though  he  were)  a  skin  (that  is  beaten). 
Again   he   is   taken   and   tied   to   a   painful   stake,  he  cries   out,  he    falls  down 

like  the  beam  (for  pumping  water). 
There   is   indeed   for   ever   no   release   at   all;    much    less  will   death  take  him 

away,  so  that  he  should  go  to  rest. 
He    who   repents,   returns   not   to   his  work  again ;    do  you  listen,  we  say  that 

there  will  be  no  giving  of  bribes  then,  though  you  may  seek  for  it. 
My  friend,   you    must   repent  to   God,  you    must   leave   off  falsehood,  leave  off 

the  teaching  of  Satan,  which  tends  to  the  house  of  pain. 
20  Repent   truly,  leave   off  vain  deceit ;   if  this   be   done,  on   the  resurrection  day 

your  repentance  will  be  seen. 
The   evil   doer,   if  he  refuses   to  repent,   will   suffer  misfortune ;    he  loses  (all), 

he  hurries  himself  to  (the  place  of)  pain. 
Follow  God,  cease   following  the  wicked  man,  leave  both  him  and   his  desires, 

keep  the  fast,  and  pray,  and  go  on  the  pilgrimage. 

8.  Jjj^J  choro]  for  \^j^  tsoro  "fear,"  cf.  F  6. 

^jokJj  rangamii]  "  day  of  meeting  with,"  a  shortened  form  of  ^^^i^j  ranan  gamu. 

9.  i-^Uw  jachiki\  lit.  "  to  di^ag  the  belly,"  an  expression  suggested  by  the 
crawling  of  a  snake,  applied  to  the  secret  approach  of  a  thief. 

10.  I313J  ^flj  Li  gia  ham  huza~\  three  intoxicating  drinks  ;  gia  is  made  by  soak- 
ing guinea-corn  in  water  for  three  days  till  it  begins  to  sprout.  It  is  then  boiled 
and  crushed  and  makes  a  highly  intoxicating  drink.  Bam  is  palm  wine  obtained 
by  direct  incision  into  the  stem  of  the  palm.  Buza  is  made  of  salt,  honey,  and 
water.     None  of  these  drinks  are  at  all  commonly  used  in  Hausaland. 

11.  '3jjJ>-«  mazoro]  or  mazuru  "a  wild  cat";  the  repentance  of  a  wild  cat  is 
a  Hausa  synonym  for  insincerity ;  with  a  stolen  chicken  in  its  mouth,  which  it 
has  no  intention  of  giving  up,   the  cat  says  "  I  repent." 


47 

D         Ku  ji  choro  akoi  rangamu  mu  da  mu  da      rana  na  komi  ka  ki  chiki  sai  ta  budi 
allah 

Enna  boiya  enna  jachiki  enna  fasada  wata  rana  akoi  damasa  3'a  ka  che  ba  yi  ba 

10  Atuba  hakika  aboki  aber  na  karia  aber  rikichi  aber  sha  gia  da  bam  da  buza 

Ayi  tuba  ga  allah  aber  tuba  mazoro  shi  ki  tuba  kaza  ta  tana  baki  bai  sako  ba 

Maituba  mazoro  ba  shi  ashi  kowani  ba  sai  zunubi  sai  sanduna  da  su  da  sarka 

Akandarmishi  baia  baia  ajashi  da  bir-      wuta  da  wuta  ta  ki  wanyi  duka  babu 
kido  kawichi 

Ajashi  anadakka  hal  ta  yin  doro  azaba      chikin  machichi  chikin  gamata  chikin 

masiba 

15  Shina  kuka  shina  shashasha  ki  achiki        azaba  ana  takura  ana  dandakasa  kamal 

kilago 

Kuma   akankaishi  kan   rataia  ga   rinu      shina  tsuwa  shina  takura  kamal  kutara 
azdba 

Shi  ki  nan  fa  daimu  babu  fita  dadai  ba        ba  mutua  bale  shidoshi  shi  je  shi  futa 

Maituba  ba  shi  komo  ga  aiki  nai  na  sabo      kun  ji  fa  mun  fadi  yanda  ka  nemasa  ba 

khila  fa 

Ayi  tuba  ga  allah  aboki  aber  na  karia      aber  koiya  na  shaitan  da  zashi  giddan 

azaba 

20  Ayi  tuba  hakika  aber  rikichi  na  banza      idan  haka  yi  gobi  anadubu  nadama 

Maisuabo  izan  ya  ki  tuba  ya  yi  khasara      ya  rubushi  ya  kora  kansa  chikin  azaba 

Ku  bi  allah  ku  ber  bi  lainu  da  shi  da       kuna    azumi    da    salla    kuna    zaka    da 
nafsi  haji 

13.  lit.    "he    has    been    bound    behind    behind,    he    is   dragged    away    and    comes 
again ;    fire  and  fire  end  everything,  there  is  no  edge." 

14.  \Zc\i.  yamata]  cf.   Ar.   i*^  gamd   "a  fainting  fit." 

15.  1^3  takura]  lit.   "causes  him  to  coil  up  like  a  snake." 

16.  ^^J  rinu~\  properly  an  iron  fork  for  toasting  meat. 

IjU^  kutara]  is   the    long   cross    beam    which   acts    as  a   lever  for  drawing  water 
from  a  well. 

20.      Uol  Jl3   nadama]  Ar.   iLel  ju  iiaddmat  "  repentance." 

22,      (J>*sJ  Idinu]  Ar.   la'^in  "  accursed." 


48 

D         Leave   off  sajang  your  prayers  late,  make  your  prayers   at    the  right   time ;   he 

who  without  cause  is  late  in  saying  his  prayers  shall  have  no  success. 
He   who   refuses   to   pray  is   indeed   a   heathen ;   he  will  not   be  able  to  resist, 

at  the  last  day  he  will  see  the  abode  of  pain. 
25  Leave  off  consulting  even  a  little  as  to  what  you  should  do ;  take  to  yourselves 

diligence,  every  man  shall  receive  his  measure  (of  reward). 
Sleep   and   awake,    rise   up   and   show  diligence ;   pray  and    offer  up  praise  and 

supplication. 
Sleep   not   the   sleep   of  the   ignorant  and  careless ;   he   stretches  his  limbs,  he 

rolls  like  an  ant. 
Till    the   sun   comes   forth    he   remains   in   his   house   and   comes   not   out,   his 

wits  remain  at  home. 
The  son  of  the  wicked    man   is  the   friend  of  the  heathen,  the  brother  of  the 

Jew ;   leave  them  alone,  the  day  is  coming  when  they  will  meet  with  God. 

30  We  tell  and  warn  you,  my  friends ;  love  God,  love  the  prophet,  love  friendship. 

We   cause   you   to   hear   of  friendship,   it   comes   not   to   this   earth    for    ever; 

cleave  to  it,  continue  to  incline  your  ears  to  it. 
Give  attention,  that  I  may  explain   to   you    the   truth  which   I   have ;    let  not 

your  ears  be  stubborn  like  those  of  a  profligate  man. 
If  you   have   children    seek   instruction   for   them,  take   them   to   the    Mallams, 

that  they  may  learn  by  heart. 
Follow  after  God,  prostrate  yourself  before  Him,  pray  and  obtain  pardon,  pray 

yet  again. 
35  Leave  off  pride,  gain  much  instruction ;  God  will  increase  the  prosperity  of  him 

who  is  instructed. 
Leave   off    hastening   after   the   things  of    this   world   and    to    prepare   for   it ; 

rise  up,  O  my  relations,  for  we  have  a  journey  before  us. 
That  journey   which  you   take   is  to  the  city  of  the  servants  (of  God);    keep 

knowledge,  you  know  the  precepts  of  God. 
I   do   not   fear    death    or   burial;    you   are    journeying    to    a    strange    city   to 

which  thou  hast  never  before  come. 

23.  lULSjiCJ  taka  wakatita]  a  better  reading  probably  is  LLLsyu  ta  a  vxikatita, 
cf.  MS. 

24.  \^Sj^  gari\  for  ^pJji-  gareshi  "to  him." 

25.  ikJ^  \^^  sofa  sofa\  this  is  apparently  an  Arabic  particle  indicating  the 
future. 

28.  I>jj  birzfi]  lit.  "the  mud  out  of  which  the  wall  is  built,"  here  equivalent 
to  "within  the  house." 

29.  The  first  syllable  j^i  di  of  the  second  half  of  this  line  is  part  of  the 
last  word  in  the  first  half,  cf.  lines  33,  43,  69.  This  is  unusual,  as  the  sense 
usually  breaks  off  at  the  end  of  the  first  half. 


49 

Ku   ber   makara   da   salla   ku  yi    taka  maimakara  da  ganga  ba  ayi  masa  arziki 
vvakatita  ba 

Kowa  ya  ki  salla  ko  tabetta  kafiri  ni  ba  iiiakawa  gari  gobi  ya  ga  giddan  azaba 

25  Ku  ber  bi  shawora  sofa  sofa  da  sanu  na  yi  ku  do  aniya  kowa  shi  samu  gulgudusa 

Ku  yi  berchi   ku    falaka    ku    tashi    ku  kuna  salla  kuua  tasbaha  kuna  sallati 
maida  him  ma 

Kadda  ka  yi  kwanchi  jahili  da  ba  shi  shina  mika   shina   birkima   kaman   da 
kulla  ba  chocha 

Hal  rana  ta  fudu  shina  daki  bai  fito  ba  idan  ya  fita  hankalinsa  shi  fa  da  birza 

Da  raazugu  aboki  majusi  kani  yahu-  -di  abersu  kuru  akoi  rangamasu  da  su 

da  allah 

30  Muna  waatsi  muna  galkadi  gareku  dengi  aso  allah  aso  anabi  aso  zumunchi 

Mu  yi  ku  ji  zumunta  ba  shi  je  abada  anatsaushi  ku  kuna  dada  karkattawa 
kasa  ba 

Ku     karkatta    kunua    en    gaia    maku  kadda  ku  chaia  da  kuni  kaman  kuni 
gaskiana  asheggi 

En  kun  samu   yaya  ku  nema   laddabi  -esu  ku  kaisu  ga  mallamasu  shinni  su 
gar-  samu  harda 

Ku  bi  allah  kuna  sajada  kuna  roko  kuna  roko  ku  sa  gafara  ku  ka  ka  ruanka 

35  Ku  ber  f\xhari  ku  yi  laddabi  da  girma  mailaddabi  allah  shi  kan  safa  arzikisa 

Ku  ber  garaji  zama  dunia  da  shiriwa  ku  yi  tashi  dengi  akoi  taffia  gabbanmu 

Taffia  chan  da  kuna  zo  gari  gabawa  ku  rika  shinni  kuna  sani  sunna  ga  allah 

Ba  mutua  ni  ki  razana  ba  zaman  kushiwa  ku  yi  tafifian  bako  gari  ba  ka  tso  dadai  ba 


31.     The  text  in  this  line  is  probably  corrupt. 

.34.  The  meaning  is  somewhat  obscure,  and  the  text  probably  corrupt.  Accord- 
ing to  Abd-el-Kadr  for  ka  ka  ruanka  we  should  read  ^s^j  tjl5  kara  roko,  "  increase 
your  prayers";  the  letter  c  at  the  end  of  the  first  half  of  the  line  is  appa- 
rently superfluous. 

yj,i  s«]  a  shortened  form  of  ^o-*  sama  "  to  obtain." 

37.  \^lJ.  ^ji.  gari  gahaiva]  lit.  "the  city  for  the  slave,"  i.e.  the  city  of  the 
servants  of  God;  or  we  might  perhaps  read  gabbawa,  taking  this  as  a  lengthened 
form  of  gabba  "ahead." 

38.  1_^  tso'\  for  Iji  zo  "  to  come." 

R.  H.  ' 


50 

D        If  thou   art   brought   and   laid   in   the  grave,  there  will   be  no  one  there   but 

thine  own  self. 
40  If  you    have   done   good   you    will   come    to   a  wide   place;    if  thou  hast   done 

evil  thou  wilt  meet  with  great  pain. 
And  the   angel    Nakir   will   come   to    question   thee,   and   with    him    Mankaru, 

with  club  and  whip  and  strong  sticks. 
If  they  come  across  a  man  who  has  served  a  vain  service,  who  has  worshipped 

a  stone,  who  has  made  the  stump  of  a  tree  (his  god), 
He   begins   to   tremble   as   he   sees   them,  he   begins  to  be  afraid ;    when  they 

ask  iiim,  he  has  no  reason  or  answer  to  give. 
They  pile  up  blows  many  in  number  as  little  stones,  they  give  blows  three  at 

a   time. 
45  If  they  come  across  a  man  who  understands  the  greatness  of  (God)  the  King ; 

if  they  question  him  but  he  has  no  reason  or  answer  to  give, 
They  give    a  reason   and  answer  to  him  who  trembles ;    they  look  in  his  face, 

they  know  that  he  is  a  believer. 
O    my   relations,  we   direct   you  unto  Mohammed  ;    we  all   seek  the  knowledge 

of  God  that  we  may  not  fail  in  speech. 
O   God   my  Lord,   do  thou  help  us  that  I  may  feel  happy ;   he  who  is  in  the 

shade  knows  not  what  is  done  outside. 
You    will   be   sought    for   and   found    in   the   next  world,    when   all   people  are 

gathered  together;    no  skill  or  craft  will  by  any  means  (avail). 
50  Let  us  take  care,   let  us  follow  the  path  of  those  who  are  guided ;   let  us  not 

desert  it,  Satan  leads  us  by  a  black  way. 
Ye  too,  O  women  my  disciples,  do  you  show  diligence  and  take  pains,  do  you 

serve  God, 
Say  your  full  prayers,  fulfil  the  fast ;   be  not  stubborn  nor  walk  proudly,  your 

husband  is  to  you  as  a  Mallam. 

39.  ^j^^  kasshi]  "to  continue"  as  in  B  54 ;  or  we  should  perhaps  read  ka 
isshi  "thou  meetest  with." 

liCU^.  f.^  sai  hallinka']  lit.   "but  thine  own  character." 

41.  According  to  Mohammedan  tradition  soon  after  a  corpse  is  laid  on  the 
tomb  two  black  angels  named  Monker  and  Nakir  come  to  hold  an  examination 
into  the  faith  of  the  deceased  man.  If  he  answer  rightly  his  body  is  left  to 
rest  in  peace  till  the  resurrection,  if  otherwise  he  is  beaten  till  he  roars  so  loud 
as  to  be  heard  by  all  from  east  to  west  except  men  and  genii.  The  body  is 
then  guarded  by  ninety-nine  dragons  till  the  resurrection. 

42.  IjU  batvci]  lit.  "a  slave,"  an  expression  used  of  men  generally  as  being 
the  slaves  of  God,   cf.   SouXoi  ©cov  in  N.T. 

43.  yj£s\    Ijjji  zoro  akal]  for  j>^'   hj^  ^^^^'^  akan. 

44.  1^  1^  mai  ?nai]  for  l***-o  ■-•wo  mcmiya  mainya  "very  many." 
L:lSL>  hukata\  should  probably  be  Uaj  hugata  "blows." 


51 

D         En  akaika  anshifi  da  ka  chikin  kushiwa       ba  kasshi  kowoni  chikinta  sai  hallinka 

40  En  akanaiku  khaira  kiin  tso  ku  iski  yelwa      en  shara  ka  aika  ka  tsa  ka  sha  masiba 

Wa  nakiri  shi  zo  tanbaiaka  da  shi   da      munkaru  da  guduniai  da  kurafu  da  san- 

duna  na  katifi 

Izan  iski  bawa  wanda  ki  bauta  ta  banza      shina  bauta  ga  duchi  shina  yi  gatsana 

itachi 

Shi  dora  makarkata  ya  ganesu  shi  dora      -ro  akal  siika  tabaies  ba  shi  huja  ba 
zo-  ko  shi  amsa 

Su   kan  ribi  sanduna  mai  niai    karaan      su    dora    bukata    suna    sa    masu    uku 
duachu  uku 

45  Iza(n)   iski    bawa   wonda   ya   san  jalla      izan    suka    tabi    ba    shi    huja    ko    shi 
sarki  amsa 

Su  kan  kavva  dalili  da  huja  maikatarta      su  ka  doro  suka  bershi  suna  so  mumini 

ni 

To  ku  naifi  mu  yi  shiii  tun  ga  ahmadu       di'mia  mu  nemi  shinni  don  kadda  niu 

kasa  ftidi  jawabi 

Allah  ubangiji  ka  ka  tarshimu  ji  dadi      shina  ennua  bai  san  abinda  akayi  wari  ba 

Akanbidi  samaku  a  lakhira  diinia  atarat      babu  chimi  ankuma  kuma  ba  dabara 

50  Mu  do  (a)nia  nuina  bi  tafor  ka  masu-       kadda    mu    saki   shaitsa(n)    shi    kaimu 
shirya  bakin  tafarki 

To  matamu  almajirai  akumaida  himma      ku  do  ania  kuna  kokari  kuna  ibada 

Kuna  salla  chikaka  kuna  azumi  chikaka      kadda   ku   chaia  kuna  takama  alman- 

jinka  mallama 


45.  j^aJ  iabi]  a  shortened  form  of  ^^^  tambaia  "to  question." 

46.  ^  so]  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  we  should  read  ,^y-^  sayii  "know." 

47.  Text  and  meaning  obscure.  If  the  transliteration  given  above  be  correct 
ndi/i  is  equivalent  to  de7igi  "relations";  we  should  perhaps  read  tukuna  "not  yet," 
or  "yet  awhile." 

^j^  shiri]  may  be  for  shiria  "guidance,"  cf.  line  50;  or  for  sMru  "silence"; 
if  the  latter  be  the  correct  reading,  translate  "we  keep  silence  yet  awhile  in 
regard  to  Mohammed." 

tJ>  dunia]  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  is  equivalent  to  duka  "  all." 

48.  ijj^  wari]  probably  from  Ar.   Ijj  ward  "beyond,"  or  "on  the  other  side." 

49.  yC^^  samaku]  "to  find  you,"  or  we  should  perhaps  read  samako  "to 
arrive  early." 

50.  Lj  3i  do  nia]  shortened  form  of  doka  ania  "take  care,"  cf.  following  line. 
52.     ^a.^1  almanjinka]  for  JUa^l  ahnijinka  "thy  husband. 


52 

J)        You   my  children,   my  disciples,  do  you  show  diligence,  do  you   seek  after  the 

knowledge  of  God ;   be  strenuous,  ye  are  the  heirs  of  the  Mallams. 
Seek  after  true  and  correct  knowledge,  leave  off  changing ;    be   not   stubborn 

nor   walk  proudly,  your  ftither  is  to  you  as  a  Mallam. 
55  The   children    of   the    prophets    and    the  wives    of   the    prophets    sought   after 

knowledge,  they  were  diligent,  they  served  God. 
Much  more  do  you,  O  mothers  of  these  children,  take  care  lest  your  relations 

leave  you  outside  (heaven). 
Very  many  shall  come  together,  there  shall  be  much  to  eat,  do  ye  hear;   he 

who  is  late  shall  have  nothing  but  muddy  water  to  drink. 
Behind  will  be   terror,  in  front  of  us  will  be  the  city  of  the  resurrection ;   we 

shall  all  be  gathered  together,  even  to  our  ancestor  Adam. 
And  the  angels  and  genii  shall  be  gathered   together  and  shall  surround   us ; 

myriads    and    myriads    of    them    shall    be    collected,    judgment    shall    be 

prepared. 
60  Line  after  line  shall  be  raised  up  there  at  the  resurrection,  that  space  of  the 

Bait  al  Mukaddas  shall  be  sufficient  for  us. 
On  that   day  when  we   have   been   gathered   together   and   restored   to   life,   a 

division  shall  be  made,  the  wicked  shall  be  left  to  suffer  trouble. 
On  that  day  you  shall  speedily  obtain  heaven;  others  (will  say)  Would  that  I 

had  known;   they  will  feel  remorse. 
On  that  day  the  secret  place  shall  be  laid  open ;  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly 

every  one  shall  know  thee  and  thy  character. 
The  (heat  of)  the  sun  shall  descend  (increased)  seventy-thousand-fold;   its  heat 

shall  wither  up  our  arms  and  the  heat  of  its  orb  shall  (burn)  our  heads. 
65  It  will  continually  blister  our  heads,  it  will  soften   them ;   the  skull  will  boil 

over  as  a  cooking  vessel  does. 
On  that  day  a  little  drinking-water   shall    be    sought    for,    there    shall    be    no 

limit  to  the  great  heat,  there  shall  be  thirst  and  pain. 
Thirst  shall  burn  the  tongue  down  to  the  throat,  it  shall  burn  the  spleen,  the 

liver,  the  heart  and  the  parts  below. 


56.  Or  "  niucli  more  do  ye,  O  children  of  our  wives." 

57.  f^jJ  js-  \^j^\  ahanguda  tari\  for  akantari  guda  "many  shall  be  gathered 
together."  guda  is  a  word  usually  prefixed  to  numerals,  its  meaning  being  somewhat 
the  same  as  the  English  expression  "  in  number."  Thus  g^lda  tiku  "  three  in  number," 
or  occasionally  "  three  times."  Possibly  the  reading  here  should  be  ^jJ  j^  L5^' 
akoi  guda  tari,  cf.   MS. 

>**  , ,  V* 

59.  O-afcJI    aljinnu^    Ar.    y^^y^.  jinn.     Invisible    beings  intermediate  between  men 

and  angels  or  devils. 

60.  ^,0^  achani]  for  j^fr  achan  or  better,  ^^1  achan. 


53 

D         Ku  yayamu  alinajirai  akiimaida  himma      ku  noma  shinni  kuna  kokari  da  kvi  gaji 

mallama 

Ku  nema  shinni  hakika  da  gaskia  ku       -wa    kadda    ku    chaia    kuna    takanial 
ber  saki-  ubaka  mallama 

55  Yayan  anabawa  da  matamu  anabawa         su  nema  shinni  suna  kokari  suna  ibdda 

Bali  ku  fa  matamu  yaya  nana  ku  do  ania  kadda  yan  uwanku  su  berku 

ha(in)ya 

Akanguda  tari  ni  da  anchia  tari  ku  ji       maimakara  ba  shi   sha  rua  ba  sai   na 

guiba 

Baia  razani  na  gabbanmu  gari  kiama        akantarshimu    dukamu    hal    kakanmu 

adamu 

Da  malaiku  da  aljinnu  su  tari  su   ke-       ribbi  da  ribbi  antaru  zaashiii  hukumchi 
woiyimu 

60  Akan  safifu  saffu  ayatada  acham  kiama      sarari  na  bait  almukaddas  ta  ishimu 

Rana  chan  akantataramu  araiyimu  akan  zabi  aber  guriguri  suna  mayata 

Rana  na  da  manmaza  kun  samu  girma      wansu  suna  da  na  sani  suna  nidama 

Rana  chan  akuntuna  loloki  asiri  chaka  jamaa  kowa  shi  sanka  shi  sa(n) 

halinka 

Akan  safko  da  rana  ribbi  sabain  chakani  asanya  chikai  chakani  gudanta 

du  kawanamu 

65  Ta  kan  rika  farcha  kai  garemu  ta  zabki       kolua  tana  tafassa  tana  habuma  kaman 

tukimia 

Rana  na  akamiemi  guwa  baiyaka  zafi  yaiyawa  ga  kishirua  ga  chananta 

Kishirua  che  akansurya  halshi  hal  makurua   ta   so(i)ya   sefa   da   anta   da 

zuchia  da  saifa 


^jkioJt    OnaJ   bait  almukaddas]  Ar.    "the   sacred   house";    probably   refers   to  the 
Kaaba  at  Mecca,  though  the  same  expression  is  often  used  of  Jerusalem. 

62.      t  Juo-U  manmaza']  or  maimaza,  cf.   MS.  for  maza  maza  "  very  quickly." 
^^^.w     U     b    da  na  sani]    lit.    "that  which    I   knew."     According  to  Abd-el-Kadr 
this  is  equivalent  to  the  Ar.   c^J  laita  "  would  that ! " 

64.  ^^suj  safko]  for  ^^Cw  sabko,  usually  pronounced  sapko. 
Ljjbu     chakani]  should  be  zakani,  cf.   Ar.   l^i  zakd  "to  blaze." 

65.  ^j9  farcha]  for  ^^jS  farsa  "to  blister." 

66.  Uiij  chananta]  for  liuJb  tsananta. 


54 

D         There  shall  be  heat  of  perspiring,  heat  of  the  sun,   heat  of  many ;   there  shall 

be  no  shade  except  where  the  shelter  of  Mohammed  is. 
There  are  seven,  each  of  which  is  set  up ;   beneath  each  you  see   the  faithful 

(gathered). 
70  He   whose    wishes   God   gratifies,   feels   happy ;     he    has    shade,   he    knows   not 

what  is  without. 
Hell   shall  come   in  hope   that   men   may  be  left  to  fall  therein ;    it  will  gaze 

with  open  mouth  in  hope  that  a  multitude  may  be  given  (to  it). 
Seventy  thousand  evil  angels  shall  be  put  therein,  the  fire  will  roar  and  make 

a  noise,  like  the  splitting  of  wood, 
Until  God  hath  finished  His  judgment  on  His  servants;   some  shall  be  carried 

to  heaven,  some  to  hell. 
May  God   preserve  us  safely  that  we  may  be  saved,  among  all  those  who  are 

on  the  right  hand  of  Mohammed. 
75  We   shall   enjoy   shelter,   we   shall    drink   water   in    the   wide    plain ;    we   shall 

have  pleasure,  being  gathered  together  in  the  presence  of  Mohammed. 
We   shall   be   brought   to  the  pond  of  the  prophet ;    we  shall  drink  and  wash 

and  rise  up  and  walk,  and  hasten  to  our  homes. 
We   the   servants  of  God  shall   enter  heaven,  the  dwelling-place  of  the  father 

of  Abraham ;   houses  shall  be  given  to  each  one  of  us,  each  shall  go  to  his 

own  farm. 
There  shall  be  pleasure  of  every  varymg   kind ;    we  shall  be  saved  in   heaven 

for  the  sake  of  Mohammed. 
To   the   house  of  safety,  the  house  of  constant  abode,  the  house  of  happiness, 

the  heavenly  house,  in  which  to  remain,  may  God  bring  us. 
80  O    my    brothers,    to   you    do    we    speak   in    order    that  you    may   make  prepara- 
tion;  you  know  that  the  Lord  is  not  unjust  to  his  servants. 
If  you  follow  Him   and  revere  Him,  He  will  grant  you   salvation ;    if  you  do 

evil.  He  will  bring  you  to  the  abode  of  pain. 
He   made  the  abode  of  fire.   He  left  it  for  the  sake  of  evil  doers ;    there  are 

seven  divisions  in  it,  its  depth  exceeds  all  comparison. 

68.  Ulj  ranci\  according  to  Mohammedan  tradition  the  sun  will  at  this  time 
approach  within  a  mile  of  the  earth. 

j-jp  Ifi  ga  tariti\  meaning  obscure — perhaps  we  should  read  ^_j  jj  \a  ga 
tara  ni  "behold  the  crowd." 

71.  Uj  ta  fa\  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  we  should  read  ^Uj  ta  fada. 

72.  l*JljJ  zahdnia'\  explained  by  Abd-el-Kadr  as  "evil  angels."  A-JbjJI  az-zahdniyat 
occurs  once  in  the  Koran,  c.  96,  v.  18,  where  its  meaning  is  very  uncertain.  It  is 
not  a  genuine  Arabic  word. 

^-cl^  15^  J3j  *'^*^'*  bC'iki  chachagi]  ruri  is  used  of  the  bellowing  of  an  ox,  haiki 
or  better  babaki  of  the  groaning  of  a  camel,  and  chachagi  of  the  crackling  of 
split  wood  or  torn  paper. 


55 

D         Ga  koni  jibbi  ga  ta  rana  ga  tariti  ba  cnnua  sai  enda  tuti  inuhammad 

Tuta  che  guda  tokkos  kowa  che  ankafa-  -ta  kowa  ka  ga  kalkashita  mumina 

70  Wanda  ubangiji  ya  katarsasa  ya  ji  dadi  shina  enniia  bai  san  abinda  akayi  wari  ba 

Jahannama  kan  taffo  wai  aberta  ta  fa  taro  ta  gano  bakinta  11a  saki  wai  abata 

Asanya  zabania  wa  dubu  sabain  chakani  tana  ruri  tana  baiki  kanial  chachagi 

Hal  allah  shi  wanya  hukumchi  nai  ga      wadansu   akaisu  aljonna  wadansu   akai 
bayi  jahannama 

Ya  alkxh  shi  samu  chiraro  mu  chira  chakan  jemaa  wananda  kan  dama  che 

muhammad 

75  Mu  sha  ennua  mu  sha  kauchara  chikin      mu  sha  nima  antataramu  gabban  mu- 
baiala  hammad 

Akaimu  kundumi  ya  rasulu  mu  sha  mu      -nka   mu  taka  tadowa  muna   hamzari 
wa-  zua  giddanmu 

Mu  je  aljenna  baia  gidda  nana  hubal      abamu    giddadaji     kowanimu    shi    je 
khaliki  gonasa 

En  nima  da  launi   kaman(u)   bam   da      antarshimu  aljennati  midon  muhammad 
banbam 

Giddan   chira   giddan   dawama    giddan      giddan  aljenna  giddan  tabetta  allah  shi 
sa'ada  kaimu 

80  To  kua  yan  uwa  muna  gaia  maku  don      ku  san  fa  ubangiji  ba  shi  tsulumi  che 
ku  shiria  ga  bawa 

En  ka  bishi  ka  charkakashi  (shi)  baka      en  suabo  ka  kan  yi  shi  kaika  giddan 
chira  azaba 

Ya  giddan  wuta  ya  beri  don  masusuabo      rabunta  bokkoi  zurfinta  ya  fi  gabban 

michali 

76.  i^jU^  kundumi]  i.e.  the  pond  of  Mohammed  just  outside  paradise, 
believed  to  be  a  month's  journey  in  circumference  and  to  have  as  many  drinking 
cups  set  round  it  as  there  are  stars  in  the  sky. 

77.  yjt^  (J-***  ^tubal  khalihi]  should  be  ubal  hcdilu,  cf.  MS.  khaJ'du  Ar.  lit. 
"friend"  is  the  usual  title  of  Abraham. 

^^jBfiJ^  giddadaji]  for  yiddaji,  pi.  of  gidda  "a  horse." 

78.  i^J>A  midon]  should  be  jj>oi  domin  "because  of." 

79.  bbtw  sa^ada]  from  Ar.   Sjbtw  sa^ddat  "  happiness." 

82.  These  seven  divisions  of  hell  will  be  assigned  respectively  to  wicked 
Mohammedans,  Jews,  Christians,  Sabians,  Magians,  idolaters  and  hypocrites,  the 
punishment  in  each  being  worse  than  in  the  one  above  it. 


56 

D        We  prepare  you,  O  my  relations,  for  work  which  will  bring  prosperity ;    it  is 

not  in  order  that  you  may  give  us  anything  to  eat  that  we  instruct  you. 
The  love  of  God  and  of  the  prophet  will  be  with   us ;   we  follow  them  in  this 

world    until    all    shall    love    them,    until    such   love   shall   be   permanently 

established. 
85  This   earth  is  an  abode  of  gossip,  an  abode  which  passes  away ;   an   abode  of 

deceit,  an  abode  of  poverty,  an  abode  which  comes  to  an  end. 
He   makes  preparation   that  he   may  remain   and  continue    in   this   world ;    this 

desire  is  indeed  a  foolish  one. 
If  thou  talkest  much,  my  words  to  restrain  you  are  ended  ;    death  is  coming, 

it  will  prevent  you  from  heaping  up  words. 
Thou    wilt   leave   behind   the    dwellings    of    earth,   thou    wilt    not    take    them 

with  thee  ;   thou  wilt  only  have  a  shroud  and  a  shirt. 
You  will  come  to   a   place  where  you  know  no  skill  (that  will  avail),  still  less 

any  contrivance ;   there  will  be  no  guidance  for  you  on  that  day,  still  less 

preparation. 
90  Alas  such  an  one  had  not  the  sense  to  consider ;    he  did  nothing  remarkable, 

his  sense  was  as  that  of  a  fool. 
He  whom  the  Lord   fills   with    His   wisdom   so    that   he   keeps   a   careful   look 

out  until  evening  is  prosperous. 
He   who   is   very   thirsty   takes   pains   to   dig   a   well ;   beware   lest   death  take 

him  away  to  a  place  where  he  will  do  no  work. 
He   who   would  repent   let    him    take   pains  to  repent  (now) ;   beware  lest  the 

door  be  closed  and  he  who  is  outside  should  not  be  able  to  enter  in. 
We   indeed   speak   a    little   as    it    were    in   parables,    we   do   not    make   exact 

distinctions ;    we  keep  silent,  understanding  is  the  measure  of  all  things. 
95  For  that  which  is  true  hath  been  understood  and  explained,  will  keep  silence, 

there  is  no  knowledge  with  him,  still  less 

May  God  deliver  us  and  save   us  with  an  excellent  salvation ;  (He  who  is)  the 

father  of  Abraham,  Who  was  in  the  beginning  and  will  continue  for  ever. 


83.  LjJu  buki]  properly  a  marriage-feast. 

84.  w-w!    asanta]    we    should    probably    read    asonta    "loved";    the  construction 
of  the  line  is  very  uncertain. 

85.  UoLSs  kanika\  according   to    Abd-el-Kadr   this    should    be    kankani,  which   is 
probably  equivalent  to  kankanchi. 

87.  \^ /ua]  should  probably  be  t^l  kua   "also." 

88.  «£JL>^»>    hausaki^    should    be    ^Juj^    ^ausagi    "a    shirt    put    on    under    the 
shroud." 


57 

D         Muna  shiri  ku  dengi  ga  aiki  maikaterta  muna  foronku  ba  don   ku    bamu    abin 

buki  ba 

Mu  kamna  allah  da  anabi  ta  ishimu  bi  nan  dtinia  hal  asanta  hal  ya  chawanta 

85  Giddan    dunia    giddan    kaiiika    giddan  giddan    rudi    gidda     anmacha    giddan 
maiata  kari 

Ya  yi   tatali  don   shi  girku  shi  zamna  so  wanda  so  wanda  ba  shi  hankali  ba 
dunia 

Izan    ka    tanka  fadawa  hannaraaka   su  -ri  ajali  ka  taho  fiia  hannamaku  tarn- 
kaka-  ansu 

Ka  kan  ber  tarikachi  dunia  ba  ka  tso  sai  kafan  da  hausaki  akan  gareka 
da  su  ba 

Ku  kan  taffi  dam  ba  ka  san  chima  ball  babu    shiriya    ra    na    gareka   bali    ku 
dabara  shirya 

90  Kaicho  wanan  na  yi  hankali  ba  shi  duba  ba    ba    shina    lajabi    shi    hankali(n)sa 

badan  badada 

Wanda  ubangiji  ya  chika  masa  hanka-  shi  kan  gani  kami  marechi  arziki  ni 
linsa 

Kowa  ya  izanwa  shi  do  (a)nia  shi  yasa  kadda  mutua  fa  dokeshi  hal  ila  ya  baia 

Kowa  kan  tuba  shi  do  ania  shi  tuba  kadda  arufi  kofa  shina  wakan  ya  shifo  ba 

Mu   dai  mu  yi   machali  kadan   ba  mu  muna  kurum  hankali  duka  shi  kiyasi 
rarafiya 

95  Don  wota  gaskia  akansanta  akanwaiita  na  yi  kurum  ba  shinni  bihi  bali  akanyi 

Ya  allalj  shi  samu  chira  acheto  fiyayi  saidafari  maiyo  da  g(')bi  hubal  khalilu 


92.  Lu  baia]  equivalent  to  ba  ya  yi. 

93.  ^A*--J    O^J   tvakan   ya   shi/o]    the  true    reading   (according  to  Abd-el-Kadr) 
is  ^3L^>i.}  ij^-J  woji  ba  ya  shiggo. 

94.  tjUJjj    rarafiya]  according   to  Abd-el-Kadr   this   should   be   L-Uy    rarabai  ba, 
rarabi  being  an  intensive  form  of  raba  "to  divide." 

95.  *u  bi/d]  Ar.  "with  him";  in  the  latter  part  of  this  line  the  text  is  corrupt. 

96.  ,J-».  hubal]    for    ^J^    ubal   or   uban,    cf.    line    77,   note. 

jjj;i ju-j   saidafari]    probably    intended    for    ^Jj^j^t^    maidafari    "He    who  was   in 
the  beginning." 

R.  H.  8 


58 

D        Father   of  Kasim,  father  of  Tsahiru  and  of  Tsibi,  fother  of  Rakia  and  Fatima 

and  of  the  mother  of  Kulthum. 
The  blessing  of  God  (be  upon  him),  may  God  increase  love  and  salvation,  and 

faith  and  trust  in  our  lord  Mohammed. 
God   is   our   salvation,  and   he  who  seeks  for  the  truth  will  continue  with  the 

friends  and  relations  of  Mohammed, 
loo  Say,   Thanks   be   to   God,    we   seek   the   praise    of  God ;    we   give   thanks    and 

are  grateful  to  God, 
Say,  Thanks  be   to    God,   we  seek    the  praise  of  Mohammed;   we  give   thanks 

and  are  grateful  on  account  of  Mohammed. 

Praise  be  to  God,  the  Lord  of  the  worlds,  blessing  and  peace  be  upon  the 
messenger  of  God.  May  God  bless  him  and  give  him  peace.  It  is 
ended.     Amen. 

We  love  God;   may  He  grant  to  us  the  obtaining  of  prosperity. 

O  thou  who  lookest  on  the  writing,  ask  pardon  for  the  scribe  thereof,  if 
haply  the  scribe  thereof  may  escape  from  hell-fire. 

We  invoke  the  name  of  God,  we  offer  prayer  and  supplication. 


97.     The   first   three   {according   to  Abd-el-Kadr)  were   sons,  the  last  three  were 
daughters,  of  Mohammed.      For  Rakia  we  should  read  Rukaiya.     Cf.   B  21,  note. 
veil  adwni]  should  be  >6l>  da  um  "and  the  mother,"  cf.  B  21,   note. 

The   writing   enclosed    within    the    curve   of    the    illustration    is   in    Arabic,    also 
the    four    lines    in    the    centre    below,   the    same   two    lines    being    repeated.     The 


59 

D         Uban  kasim  uban  tsahiri  da  sii  da  tsibi      uban  i-akia  uban  fatsiniat  adum  kultum 

Salla  allah  allah  shina  dada  so  da  chira      da  aminchi   da  yir(d)a  ga  sidina   mu- 

h  am  mad 

Chira  ma  namu  allah  da  ya  shi  nima      shina  tabetta  gun  sahba  da  wa  alwali 
aminchi  muhammad 

loo  Afoda  alhamdu  allahi  mu  nemi  yabo  ga  muna  shukra  muna  godia  zua  ga  allah 
allah 

Afada   alhamdu    allahi    mu   nemi  yabo  muna  shukra  muna  godia  don  muham- 

muhammad  mad 


al-hamdu      li-llahi     rabbi-l-'alamina     as-salat     wa-ssalam     'ala     rasuli-llahi 
salla-llah    'alaihi   wa   sallama   tammat   amin 

muna  kamna  allah  shi  bamu  gamuwa  katerta 
ya  nadzira-1-khatti  istagfir  likatibihi 
la'alla  katibahu  yanju  mina-n-nari 
muna  zikri  muna  addua  muna  sallati 


Arabic  below  should  be  written  thus : 

These    two    lines   are    written    in   the    Basit    (Jsu-^j)    metre,    which    is    as    follows 


It  is  one  of  the  most  commonly  used  in  modern  Arabic  poetry. 


POEM  E. 

E         In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful ;   may  the  peace  of  God 

be  upon  him,  after  whom  there  is  no  prophet. 
We    thank    the   Lord,   the  ruler    of    the    kingdom,    who   has   sent   Mohammed, 

son  of  Amina. 
We   pour   forth   salutations   on  account  of  his  excellency,  and  the  relations  of 

Mohammed  who  excels  all. 
Listen,  O  companions  of  Abd-el-Kadr;  our  (evil)  deeds  shall  be  reckoned  unless 

we  repent. 
5  He    who   is   ungrateful   shall   not   be   saved ;    let    us   repent,   let    us    put   away 

ingratitude,  so  that  we  may  be  saved. 
Leave  off  imitating  the  worship  of  the  heathen,  see  what   Yinfa   did   and   he 

was  driven  away. 
When   we   come   to   the    war   and    conquer   the    heathen,   their  goods   shall   be 

gathered  together  and  the  price  fixed. 
When   the   reckoning   is   made   a   division    will    take   place,  the  share  assigned 

to  a  horse  and  its  owner  will  be  put  out. 
And   each    soldier  when  he  comes  receives  a  share ;    let  us  repent  of  carrying 

off  booty  secretly,  lest  we  burn  in  the  fire, 
lo  Both    the    judge    and    those    who    come    to    receive    judgment    (shall    burn) ; 

repent,   leave  off  following  the  desire  of  your  heart. 


The  author  of  this  poem  and  of  F  was  Sheikh  Othman,  who  died  in  1809. 
The  name  of  the  copyist  was  Ramalan  son  of  Yusuf.  Its  object  was  to  rouse 
the  people  to  take  part  in  the  war  which  he  was  just  commencing  against  the 
Hausas,  Othman  being  himself  a  Fulah.  The  final  result  of  this  war  was  the 
conquest  by  Othman  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Hausa  States  and  their  nominal 
acceptance  of  the  IVIohammedan  faith.  The  poem  also  contains  an  appeal  to  join 
in  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca. 

It  consists  of :  Introduction,  1 — 3 ;  exhortation  to  repent  and  to  give  up 
idolatry,  4 — 6 ;  the  spoils  in  the  coming  war  shall  be  fairly  divided,  7 — 9 ;  the 
judgment  of  God  is  to  be  feared,  10 — 12;  need  of  liberality,  of  purity  of  life  and 
of  repentance  in  view  of  the  war  and  of  the  judgment  to  come,  13 — 28  ;  exhor- 
tation to  join  in  the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  29 — 38  ;  the  route  to  be  followed,  39 — 48 ; 
prayers  and  praises  to  be  oflered  at  Mecca,   49 — 52. 

Throughout  this  poem  is  to  be  noted  the  Sokoto  custom  of  using  ^  shi  for 
J  chi.     Cf.  lines  7,  10,   12,  etc. 


POEM  E. 


E         Bismi  allahi  errahmani  en-ahimi 
Mu  godi  ubangiji  sarki  sarota 
Muna  zuba  essallati  bisa  fiyaiyi 
Ku  sorara  jama'a  alkadirawa 
5  Da  ya  shi  maibutulshi  ba  shi  tsira 
Ku  ber  sun  maida  addini  na  asna 
Izan  mun  zo  jahadi  mu  shi  asna 
Izan  ankawamata  ararabata 
Wa  dakara  randa  ya  zo  du  ya  samu 
lo  Da  alkali  da  masuzua  sheria 


salla  allahu  ala  man  la  nabiyi  ba'dahu 
da  ya  aiko  muhamadu  dan  amina 
da  umatan  muhamadu  ya  fi  kowa 
hallinmu  da  ankazana  sai  mu  tuba 
mu  tuba  mu  ber  butulshi  ko  mu  tsira 
abin  ga  da  yinfa  ya  yi  ankakosai 
agangama  dukiansu  akawamata 
rabon  doki  da  maidoki  afisai 
mu  tuba  da  shin  gululu  kadda  mu  kona 
ku  tuba  ku  ber  bian  son  zushia  ba 


3.  Olc*  umata]  "relations,"  cf.  C  42,  note. 

4.  IjljiUJI  alkadirmva]  Abd-el-Kadr  was  Othman's  principal  Mallam  and  a 
native  of  Kano ;  alkadirmva  is  therefore  probably  equivalent  to  "people  of  Kano." 
Cf.  F  5. 

6.  UUj  yinfa]  Yinfa  was  a  king  of  Gober ;  he  seized  and  sold  a  number  of 
men  from  Sokoto  but  was  shortly  afterwards  overcome. 

7.  ^^  shi]  a  Sokoto  use  for  ^J  chi  "take  possession  of,"  cf.  shin  for  chhi 
line  9. 

UiU^£3l  nkaivamatn^  cf.    Ar.  j>^s  kawwama  "to  estimate  price  of." 

8.  i_5~jl  ajisai]  for  ^ju^isl  ajitasdashi  "there  shall  be  put  out." 

9.  J3JU  gululu]  cf.  Ar.  Jc  galla  "to  embezzle."     Cf.  F  204. 

10.  L^i  zushia]  for  Lj3  zuchia  "heart." 


62 

E         If  thou  regardest  the  text,  understand  it  well,  and  its  explanation ;   regard  the 

two  commentaries  thereon. 
If  judgment    be    given   we    shall    all   receive   (our   deserts);    let   us   fear   the 

meeting  with  Him  who  has  power  over  all. 
If    the   standards   of  war   be    unfolded,   let   us    come   and   go    forth    with   our 

goods  and  our  wives. 
(If  any    of  you)    stay   at    home,    staying   of    necessity,    if  you    have    provisions, 

give  to  those  (who  fight) ;   you  will  receive  a  reward. 
15  You  who  steal  the  earnest  money  (will  be  punished)  unless  you  repent ;   deceit 

is  the  kingdom  of  the  heathen. 
Leave   off  playing   darra   and  deceit,  O  Mussulmans ;    leave  off  drumming  and 

going  about  with  bad  women. 
Those  who  go  to  sit  in  the  place  of  intoxication  behold  that  which  is  unlawful, 

they  refuse  to  repent. 
Those   of    you   who   continue    in    the   ways   of    Mussulmans,   repent,   leave   off 

discord  lest  you  come  to  the  fire. 
Those  who  frequent  the  gates  of  the  cities  pay  all  their  attention  to  women. 
20  Repent,  leave  off  this ;   we  know  that  if  any  of  you  refuse  to  repent  ye  shall 

all  burn  in  the  fire. 
And  (concerning)  evil  living  without  marriage,  (God)  shall  cause  those  (who  live 

thus)  to  be  blotted  out. 
And   those   of  you  who   seek   for  adornment  in  order  that  they  may  be  seen, 

shall  be  punished,  all  of  you  (who)  refuse  to  repent. 
He   who   refuses   to   follow   the   instruction    of    our   fathers   will   share    in    the 

abode  of  those  who  are  in  the  fire. 
Repent,   give   up   refusing,   listen,   cease   to   be  jealous   of   us   and   to    whisper 

evil  and  speak  lies. 
25  (Leave    off)    pride    and    evil-doing,   and    stealing    earnest    money ;    count   thy 

cowries  full,  leave  off  falsehood. 


11.     ^^jAJ  7iassi'\  Ar.   ^^jcu  nass,  used  of  the  text  of  the  Koran. 

j-j3  ziaya]  for  ^jja.  jiaya,  a  lengthened  form  of  ^a  ji  "to  understand," 
cf.  line  20. 

^^^^.jJi/  sharhoh%\  "  commentaries,"  cf.   Ar.  ^j^  shark  "  commentary." 

tjjlj  jJJl^  halil  chan%\  explained  by  Abd-el-Kadr  as  the  names  of  two  com- 
mentaries on  the  Koran,  which  he  said  were  written  720  years  ago.  Possibly 
for  ,JA».  halil  we  should  read  jj'i^  jal/d,  and  i«J^5  may  be  Ar.  for  "  second." 
There  were  two  commentators  both  named  Jelalu-d-din,  one  of  whom  died  1459  a.d., 
the  other  1505  a.d. 

14.  j$j^  larura^  cf.  Ar.  j$j-^  "necessity"  or  "compulsion." 

15.  ^J^A\     y^j^    tahin   amana^    in    Kano    this   would    be    ^^Uol   ^^^.-J    chin  amana, 


63 


E         Izan  ku  dubi  nassi  ku  yi  ziaya 

Izan  ankai  hukumshi  du  mu  karba 
Izan  anfida  tutoshi  jahadi 
Zama  kasan  zama  domin  larura 
15  Da  masutabin  amana  sai  ku  tuba 


da  sharhohi  ku  dubi  halil  da  chani 
mu  tsarshi  ganiu  da  maiiko  da  kowa 
mu  zo  mu  da  dukia  mu  taffi  da  mata 
akoi  giizuri  ku  basu  ku  samu  lada 
da  tsalumshi  sarota  nan  ta  asna 


Ku  ber  na  darra  da  tsalumshi  musulmi      kidda  molo  ku  ber  yawo  da  karma 

Da  masuzua  mashaya  don  su  zamna  suna  dubi  haramu  sun  ki  tuba 

Da  masuzama  ga  ha(i)nyoyi  musulmi        ku  tuba  ku  ber  fasadi  kadda  ku  kona 


Da  masuzua  ga  kofofin  birani 


su  tatara  hankalinsu  zua  ga  mata 


20  Ku  tuba  ku  ber  abin  nana  mu  yi  ziaya        izan  kowa  kun  ki  tuba  du  ku  kona 


Da  fasishiwan  zina  babu  amri 
Da  raasubida  wushiwa  don  asansu 


da  ya  sa  ankashashafi  wadausu 
anaforonku  kulun  kun  ki  tuba 


Da  wanda  fa  ya  ki  bin  foron  ubamu         su  tara  gidda  da  su  da  wutan  jahima 

Ku  tuba  ku  ber  kiyaya  ku  yi  ziaya  ku  ber  muna  hasada  da  radda  da  karia 

25  Da  girmankai  da  zanba  da  shin  amana      ku  zama  shika  alkawara  ku  ber  na  karia 

cf.    line    25,    "to    steal    the    earnest   money    paid    by    a    buyer   as    a   preliminary    to 
purchase." 

16.  ji  dar7'a]  a  game  played  with  stones  or  cowries,  which  are  placed  in 
small  holes  in  a  square  marked  out  on  the  ground.  It  is  generally  considered  as 
a  disreputable  game. 

[^j^  karma]  for  \^j£s  karua  "a  prostitute." 

17.  IjL^  mashaya]  explained  by  Abd-el-Kadr  as  wnriii,  shan  yia  "the  place 
where  intoxicating  liquor  is  drunk." 

19.  j_,«-JbCi».  ^j  tatara  hankalinsu]  lit.  "they  gather  together  their  wits."  For 
use  of  tatara  cf.  D  61. 

22.  J^jwj  wushiwa]   probably  from  Ar.   i*iWj  tvashyun  "adornment." 

23.  Ij^  jU  tara  yidda]  lit.   "to  share  a  house  with." 


64 

E         Tlio   Mussulman    who  loves   his   brother   shall   share   the   abode   of  Mohammed 

son  of  Amina. 
Pay  attention   and   listen    to   my  words,  O  Mussulmans ;    that  which  has  been 

said  is  true. 
If  then  you  refuse  to  repent  (or)  even  to  listen,  when  you  have  to  rise  (and 

leave  this  world)  there  will  be  no  continuance  for  anyone. 
If    the   king   of    the    Mussulmans   goes   to   Mecca,   we    must    pray,   and    make 

ready  our  goods  (to  go  with  him). 
30  Our    belief    is   to    us    in    the    place    of   riches ;    we    cleanse    our    hearts,    we 

repent   well. 
We   pray   that   our   Lord   may   give   us   power,   that  we   may  rise  up  amongst 

all  the  followers  of  Abd-el-Kadr. 
Ye  who  are   good   and  faithful,   rise   up,   we  pray  that  our  Lord  may  take  us 

with   you. 
Ye  hypocrites  and  heathen  stay  (where  you  are);    leave  off  rejoicing,  the  fire 

will  devour  you  later  on. 
We   pray   to   the   Lord,   the   ruler   of  the   kingdom,  if  we  start,  that  we  may 

obtain  provision  for  our  journey  from  the  heathen. 
35  With   our   wives,   our   children,  all   our   slaves  and  our   goods,  we  Mussulmans 

will  go  together. 
And   our   blind    and    halt    and   aged,   and   whoever   is   afraid,   we   will   all    go 

together. 
We  will  travel  too  without  thirst   or   hunger;    we   will   rejoice   in   that  which 

is  sweet  one  with  another. 
By  the   power   of  God,   and   the   blessing  of  our   friend.    He  will   bring   us  to 

the  place  where  a  share  shall  be  granted  to  all. 
When   we  have  prepared  our  goods   and   have  started,  from  Tumba  we  follow 

the  road  to  Bakura. 
40  When  we   start   from  the   town   of  Bakura,   we   come   to   the   town   of  Talata, 

we  sleep  there. 
When   we   start   from   the   town   of   Talata,   we    follow    the    road    to    Jata,    we 

sleep   there. 
When  we   start    from   there   we   give  diligence   to   reach    Danisa   and   sleep   at 

Bungudu. 

27.     j^i  zi]  for  ^o.  ji  "listen  to."     Cf.  line  IL 

^J^  viuna]  for  mana  "then"  or  "indeed,"  so  line  24  etc. 

29.  ^.0^^«».«   L5^J*^   sarki   musulmi]    "king   of    the   Mussulmans."      This   is   the 
title  usually  given  to  the  Sultan  of  Sokoto. 

30.  u~*«:5'    aiinatishi]    for    ^^x.^^)    aimanchi,   from   Ar.    ^J\^\   Imdn   "faith"  with 
Hausa  nominal  suffix. 

j^^j  rakumi\  "camels,"  used  here  in  the  sense  of  wealth. 


65 


E         Musulmi  wanda  ya  so  dan  uwa  tai 

Ku  sorara  ku  zi  magana  musulmi 

Izan  dai  kun  ki  tuba  ai  ziaya 

Izan  sarki  musulmi  zashi  makka 

30  Fa  aimanshimu  a  rakuminmu 

Mu  roki  ubangizinmu  shi  bamu  iko 
Da  salihai  da  muminai  ku  tashi 

Munafikai  da  kafirai  ku  zamna 

Mu  roki  ubangizi  sarki  sarota 


su  tara  gidda  da  ahmada  dan  amina 

abinda  akayi  fada  muna  gaskia  na 

izan  ya  tashi  babu  zama  ga  kovva 

akayi  muna  addua  amushiria  kaya 

mu  tsarkaka  zushianmu  mu  kiota  tuba 

mu  tashi  shikin  jama'a  alkadirawa 
mu  roki  ubangizinmu  shi  kaimu  tari 

ku  ber  murna  wuta  atashiku  baia 

izan  muna  tashi  mu  yi  giizuri  da  asna 


35  Da  matanmu  da  yayanmu  da  bai  du         da  dukoki  musulmi  zamu  tari 


Makafinmu  guragunmu  da  tsofi 


wani  kaki  zulumi  duka  zamu  tari 


Mu  kua  taffi  babu  kishirua  babu  yunwa      shikin  dadi  muna  murna  da  jima 


Da  yi  allah  da  albarkar  waliya 
Izan  mu  shiria  kaia  munka  tashi 
40  Izan  mu  tashi  da  birnin  bakura 
Izan  mu  tashi  da  birnin  talata 


ya  kaimu  gari  da  ankaraba  da  kowa 
ta  tunba  mu  ki  biawa  har  bakura 
mu  zo  birnin  talata  nan  mu  kwana 
ta  jata  mu  ki  biawa  nan  mu  kwana 


Izan  mu  tashi  da  nan  mun  yi  hinma        ta  danisa  da  bungudu  zamu  kwana 


33.     ,«i3U«  mimajikai]   "hypocrites,"  cf.  Ar.   JJsUo  nmndfik  "hypocrite." 
,iLwu.j|  atashiku]  equivalent  to  >£1LjSjI3   zafachiku  "  shall  devour  you." 

38.  j_}  >  da  yi]  a  Sokoto  expression  for  O^^'-*  ^^^  ^^^'^  "  ^^^  ^^*^  power  of." 
j<Jj   ivaliya]  "friend,"  i.e.  Mohammed. 

39.  w-^J  ta  tunha]   "of  Tunba,"  understand  hainya  "road." 

42.    ^.fl.;*,    hlnnia]  for  Jl^    himma    "diligence,"    cf.  following    line,    probably    from 
Ar.  «LoJb  himmat  "eagerness." 

R.  H.  9 


66 

E         When   we   start   from   here    we    travel    diligently,   we   come   to  Kutarkushi,  we 

put  down  our  baggage. 
When   we   come    to   Kutarkushi,   we   start   and    turn   aside    from    the    road   to 

Zaria,  we  leave  it  on  the  right. 
45  We   turn   aside    from    Kano  and    Bauchi,  we  leave  them  on  the  left ;    we  come 

to  Kurarafa,  we  put  down  our  goods. 
When    we   start   from   here   we   travel   diligently,  we   come   to  Madangana,  the 

river  of  Wakari. 
When  we   start   from    here   we   travel   diligently,  we    follow  it,   we   travel   east 

as  far  as  Adamawa, 
When   we   start    from    Adamawa   we    come    to    the   country   of    Bagu,   we   put 

down  our  goods. 
May  (God)  bring  us  to  the  city  without  lack  of  anything;   with  joy  we  shall 

meet  with  the  Arabs. 
50  When  we  come  to  Mina  we  rest  there ;   we  go  to  Mecca  and  pass  it  to   go  to 

Medina. 
We  pour  forth  salutations  on  Mohammed,  and  on   the  relations  of  Mohammed, 

who  sui'passes  all, 
And  on  his  friends,  and  the  followers   of  his  followers ;   we   offer   prayers,  may 

we  obtain  salvation. 

The  writing  of  this  journey  is  finished;  the  name  of  the  copyist  is 
Ramalan  son  of  Yusuf ;  praise  be  to  God  and  good  success  and  salutations  and 
peace  to  the  messenger  of  God. 


47.      ^-».  hai]  for  j.».  har  "until,"  so  in  line  50. 

50.  jUo  7mi7iar]  i.e.  Wady  Mina  a  valley  outside  Mecca  where  most  of  the 
ceremonies  connected  with  the  pilgrimage  are  performed,  including  throwing  stones 
at  the  devil  and  the  sacrifices. 

Ujjl«  madiiia]  cf.   B  167,  note. 

The    route   above   described    is   the   most   direct   from    Sokoto   to   Mecca.      After 


67 

E         Izan  mu  tashi  da  nan  mnn   yi   hinima  mu  zo  mu  kutarkushi  amusa  da  kaia 

Izan  mu  zo  kutiirkushi  munka  tashi  mu  ratsa  ta  zaria  amubersu  dama 

45  Mu  ratsa  kano  da  bauchi  mu  bersu  hauni  mu  zo  mu  kuraraf'a  amusa  da  kaia 

Izan  mun  tashi  da  nan  mun  yi  him  ma  mu  zo  mu  madangana  gulbin  wukari 

Izan  mun  tashi  da  nan  mun  yi  himma  mu  bishi  amuyi  gabbas   hai  adamawa 

Izan  mun  tashi  da  nan  adamawa  mu  zo  mu  kasan  bagu  amusa  da  kaia 

Shi  kaimu  garin  da  babu  rashi  ga  kowa  shikin  dadi  mu  sadda  da  larabawa 

50  Izan  mun  zo  fa  munar  munka  futa  mu  zagi  makka  hai  mu  wushi  madina 

Muna  zuba  essallati  bisa  muhammad  da  aliyan  muhammadu  ya  fi  kowa 

Sahaba  nai  da  tabii  tabiina  muna  yi  muna  addua  amusami  tsira 


Kamal  kasidat  as-safar  ism  ahnukatib  ramalan  bin  yusuf  bihamd  lillahi  wa 
husn  'aunihi  as-salat  wa  as-salam  ala  rasul  allahi 


leaving  Adamawa  the  pilgrims  would  pass  through  Baghirmi,  Wadai,  and  Darfur. 
Crossing  the  Nile  near  Khartoum  they  would  go  via  Souakim  or  Massowah  and 
thence  by  boat  to  Jeddah.  As  most  of  the  pilgrims  are  also  traders,  it  is  more 
usual  to  diverge  from  the  direct  path  in  order  to  visit  places  such  as  Kano  and 
Zaria,  etc.   which  the  pilgrim  is  here  directed  to  pass  by. 

The    inscription    at    the    end    is    in    Arabic.      S^~JI    assalat   should    be    written 
d'iV-fiiJI  assalat  "prayer"  or  "salutation." 


POEM    F. 

In  the  name  of  God,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful ;  may  the  peace  of  God 
be  upon  him,  after  whom  there  is  no  prophet. 

We  thank  the  glorious  King,  the  mighty  One,  exalted,  glorious  and  all- 
powerful. 

We  further  salute  Mohammed  and  his  family  and  friends  and  all  the  prophets ; 

And  the  followers  of  his  followers,  and  his  friends ;  and  the  angels  too  we  greet. 
5  And  after  we  have  completed  (our)  salutations  and  greetings,  do  ye  listen 
O  companions  of  Abd-el-Kadr. 

And  you,  my  brother,  my  friend,  fear  our  Lord  who  made  everything. 

You  my  friend,  give  attention  with  your  ears ;  the  thing  which  I  tell  thee  is 
indeed  true. 

Give  up  also  evil  doing  and  susjDicion  and  env}^ ;  give  up  all  proud  looks  and 
all  abuse. 

Repent,  leave  off  all  that  which  is  forbidden  and  speaking  evil  of  God,  leave 
off  falsehood,  fear  to  whisper  evil  about  anyone. 

The  author  of  this  poem,  as  also  of  E,  was  Sheikh  Othman  of  Sokoto,  the 
conqueror  of  Hausaland  ;  cf.  E,  introduction.  It  was  composed  in  1802  but  first 
committed  to  writing  by  his  brother  Abd-illahi  in  1843.  The  first  sheet,  which 
is  in  a  difierent  handwriting  to  the  rest  of  the  poem,  contains  several  mistakes  of 
transcription. 

It  consists  of  introductory  prayer,  1 — 4;  exhortation  to  pay  attention  and  to 
repent,  5 — 13;  God  is  the  giver  of  all,  14 — 16;  warnings  against  hypocrisy, 
stinginess,  covetousness  and  pride,  17 — 25;  the  author's  purpose  in  writing,  26 — 27; 
warnings  against  vain-glory  and  giving  heed  to  the  revilings  of  men,  28 — 36 ; 
the  world  is  but  transitory,  37 — 39 ;  women  should  observe  modesty,  40 — 42 ;  all 
the  prophets  from  Adam  to  Mohammed  have  passed  away,  43 — 53 ;  the  leaders 
too  amongst  the  heathen  have  passed  away  and  have  become  poor,  54 — 64  ;  exhor- 
tation to  follow  Mohammed  and  to  make  preparation  for  the  journey  to  the  next 
world,  65 — 75  ;  none  can  save  thee  from  dying,  76 — 79  ;  though  they  may  lament 
thee  when  dead,  80 — 84;  the  preparations  that  will  be  made  for  thy  burial,  85 — 100; 
the  two  angels  will  come  to  examine  thee  in  the  tomb,  101 — 110;  on  the  day 
of  resurrection  thou  shalt  arise,  when  the  wicked  shall  receive  punishment,  111 — 119; 
appeal  for  help  will  be  made  in  vain  to  Adam,  Noah,  Abiaham,  and  Jesus,  120 — 127  ; 
Mohammed  alone  will  render  aid,  128 — 136;  evil  deeds  will  be  compensated  for 
by  suffering,  137 — 142;  the  narrow  bridge  which  all  must  cross,  143 — 145;  at 
its  seven  turns  seven  questions  will  be  asked,  146 — 152;  the  good  will  cross 
safely,  the  wicked  will  fall  into  the  fire,  153 — 163;  the  difierent  divisions  of  hell 
and  those  who  shall  inhabit  each,  with  details  of  tortures  to  be  endured,  164 — 213; 


POEM    F. 

Bismi  allahi  errahmani  errahimi  salla  allahu  ala  man  la  nabiya  ba'dahu 

Mu  godi  jalla  sarki  maiiyawa  ta'ala  jalla  maiiyawa  da  kowa 

Muna  kuma  yin  sallati  bisa  muhammad  da  ali  da  sahibi  da  jama'ii  annabawa 

Da  tabii  tabiina  da  waliau  da  nialaku  muna  kuma  salmawa 

5  Fa  baia  shikawa  saHatu  da  salmawa  ku  sorara  jama'a  alkadirawa 

Fa  ya  kai  tsan  uwana  sahibina  ka  tsorshi  ubangijimu  da  ya  yi  kowa 

Abokina  ka  kakartsa  kunuwa  naka  abinda  na  ki  fatsa  maka  babu  wawa 

Ka  ber  kuma  hasada  da  matsinna  da  kita  harara  duka  ka  ber  zagi  fa  kowa 

Ka  tuba  ka  ber  haramu  du  da  suabo  ka  ber  karia  ka  tsorshi  ratsa  da  kowa 


the  rewards  which  await  the  righteous  on  their  entrance  into  heaven,  214 — 241  ; 
the  friends  of  Mohammed  will  be  there,  242 — 249  ;  the  respect  due  to  his  parents 
prevents  the  author  from  going  on  the  pilgrimage,  250 — 253  ;  conclusion,  254 — 256. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  every  line  in  this  poem  ends  with  the  syllable  Ij  zva. 
In  chanting  this  would  be  specially  emphasized  and  drawn  out.  The  poem  contains 
a  larger  proportion  of  Arabic  words  than  any  other.  Only  those  Arabic  words 
are  as  a  rule  referred  to  in  the  notes  which  have  no  claim  to  be  regarded  as 
adopted  Hausa  words.     As  in  E  j^  sA  is  constantly  used  for  5  ch. 

2.     ^Jm  ta'ala]  "exalted,"  cf.  Ar.  ^\ju  ta'ala  VI.  form  of  %£.  'aid  "to  be  high." 

4.  cy_5  ivalidu]  should  be  oUj  tvalii/dhu  Ar.   "his  friends." 

5.  Ijlj^liJI   alkadii^atva]  cf.   E  4,  note. 

6.  ^^^  tsa7i'\  for  ^3  dan  "  son."  Ja  ts  is  frequently  substituted  for  >  d  in 
this  poem,  cf.  in  following  line  Iks  /attia  for  \jJ  fada.  The  expression  "  son  of  my 
mother "  is  simply  one  of  endearment  and  does  not  imply  actual  relationslup. 

j^jJa  tsorshi]  "  fear,"  so  in  line  20.  Several  dift'erent  forms  of  this  occur,  cf. 
line  'J  u^pi  tsorshi,  line  17  ^j^  sorchi,  D  8  jj^  choro,  line  22  \^j^  tsoron, 
the  last  form  is  the  one  most  commonly  used  in  colloquial  Hausa. 

7.  JajS^  kakartsa]  the  more  common  form  is  >Z.-£r>j^  karkatta  "  to  bend  the 
head  so  as  to  listen  intently,"  cf.   B  38,   D  32. 

8.  (J>ku«  matsinna]   Ar.  ƙ;K.o   matsinnat  "suspicion." 


70 

F     lo  Leave    off  too    making   (wanton)    play   according   to   your   desire,  and  your  evil 

intention ;   leave  off  gambling,  cease  taking  your  fill  of  everything. 
Give    up    all   playing   of    '  darra '    and    '  dirka '    and    stealing,    fear   the    meeting 

with  Him  who  has  power  over  all. 
Repent,  give  up  slandering  and  jesting;   repent,  give  up  going  about  begging 

for  everything. 
Repent  and  give  up  all  evil  speaking  and  covetousness ;   give  up  all  adultery 

and  practising  deceit  on  anyone. 
If  you  would  ask  for  what   you  want,  ask  God,  for   He  is  rich  and  the  giver 

of  everything. 
15  For  He  will  give  to  thee.  He  will   not   be  angry ;   for  He  is  mighty,  and  He 

gives  strength ; 
For  He  listens  to  him  who  calls ;   He  is  indeed  gracious  and  refuses  not. 
Repent,   cease    from   unlawful   gain,   give   tithes ;    fear   the   meeting  with    Him 

who  has  power  over  all. 
If  thou   givest   not   tithes   prepare    for   the   fire ;    it   Avill   destroy  you   without 

doubt. 
And  the  verse  (of  the  Koran  beginning  with)  '  Those  who  hoard  up  treasures ' 

is  the  reason,  if  there  is  anyone  who  asks. 
20  Give   up   taking   the    property    of    orphans,    fear    the    meeting   with   Him    who 

has  power  over  all. 
(The    Koran   saith)    '  Go    not    near    the    property    of  the    orphan ' ;    this    is    the 

reason  if  there  is  anyone  who  asks. 
Repent,   leave   off  seeking  after   thine  own   greatness ;    let    thy    greatness    fear 

Him  who  is  all  powerful. 
If  thou   fearest   the   King  who  is  almighty,   thou  wilt  be   following   after   thine 

own  greatness,  and  that  without  doubt. 

10.  1^  hawa]  Ar.   (^^A  hawd  "eager  desire." 

Iwlw   shasha]   usually  written    IjU    chacha,    a    gambling  game   played  with  cowries 
or  ground-nuts. 

11.  ,i)i  ji    darra   duka]    so    original    MS.,    the    second    3    d    has    been    omitted 
ill  the  reproduction.     For  meaning  of  darra  cf.   E   16,  note. 

I^j3    dirka]    a   game    for  the  purpose  of    discovering   secrets,    played   by    fortune- 
tellers,  &.C. 

12.  0-«}^  kizman'\  cf.   Ar.  ^1  kazam  "to  accuse." 

^^i    dadachi]    "jesting,"   probably   from   Ar.   i^  dad  with    Hausa    nominal    suffix 
«^  chi,  cf.  anamiTnanchi  in  following  line. 

13.  ^Jj,^f^\    anamimanchi]    in    D     7     this     is     spelt     j^^^.;i.0i;ij|     ananminchi,    cf. 

Ar.  ^  namm  "to  slander." 

14.  .jii  gani]  Ar.   "to  be  rich." 


71 


F     10  Ka  ber  kuma  yin  daria  ta  hawa  da  suwa  ka  ber  shasha  ka  ber  koshin  ga  kowa 

Ka  ber  darra  duka  da  dirka  duka  da  sata  ka  tsorshi  gamu  da  maiiko  da  kowa 

Katubakaberfakizmankayidadachi  ba  ka  tuba  ka  ber  yawon  roko  ga  kowa 

Ka  tuba  da  anamimanchi  duka  da  rowa  ka  ber  zina  duka  da  tsalimshi  ga  kowa 


Kadan  roko  ka  ki  so  roko  allah 
15  Zama  shi  ni  ka  baka  ba  ya  fusata 
Zama  shi  ni  sami'u  ga  mainadai 
Ka  tuba  ka  ber  riba  ka  bada  zaka 


zama  shi  ni  gani  mabaya  kowa 
zama  shi  ni  azizu  da  bai  gazawa 
fa  shi  ni  ko  karimu  da  ba  hannawa 
ka  sarshi  gamu  da  maiiko  da  kowa 


Kadan  ba  ka  fa  zaka  kowa  ka  shiria         wuta  akaza  kassheka  fa  babu  wawa 


Fa  aiar  wallazina  yaknizuna 
20  Ka  ber  shi  dukia  yaya  marayu 
Wa  la  dai  takrabu  mal  alyatimi 
Ka  tuba  ka  ber  bidan  fe  girmamaka 
Kadan  ka  tsorshi  sarki  maiiyawa 


dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

ka  tsorshi  gamu  da  maiiko  da  kowa 

dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

fa  girman  naka  tsoron  maiiyawa 

abika  agirmamaka  fa  babu  wawa 


16.     ^irtr^  sami'u']  Ar.   "hearer,"  an  epithet  constantly  applied  to  God. 
cljO*^    mamaddi]    "one    who    calls,"    cf.    Ar.    jju    nada    "to    call."     The    c     is 
added  by  mistake,  as  in  line  4. 

18.  \J^j  zaka\   Ar.   Z\£sj  zakat  "alms,"  in  Hausa  usually  denotes  a  tithe. 

19.  jA  a%ar\  should  be  ajI  aiat,  Ar.  a  verse  of  the  Koran.  The  verse  here 
quoted  is  taken  from  Surah  ix.  34  "Those  who  hoard  up  gold  and  silver  and 
do  not  spend  it  in  the  way  of  God,  announce  to  them  the  tidings  of  a  grievous 
punishment." 

20.  .-w  sh%\  for  ^-j  chi. 

21.  There  are  two  verses  in  the  Koran  beginning  with  these  words,  Surah  vi. 
153  and  xvii.  36.  ^_^>  dai  does  not  occur  in  either,  it  is  probably  intended  as 
the  Hausa  particle  "indeed." 

23.  JLot  ahika\  a  passive  imperative  form  "  let  there  be  a  following  after 
by  thee." 


72 

And   the  verse  whicli  begins  '  Behold  the  noblest   of  you '   is   indeed  a  reason 

if  there  is  anyone  who  asks. 
25  Leave    off   that    which    is  evil,  work  according  to  the   tradition    of  Mohammed, 

who  excels  our  prophets  and  excels  everyone. 
The   purpose   of  the  whole    of  this   song  is  (to  commend)  the  Koran ;    this   is 

its  purpose  if  there  is  anyone  who  asks. 
My   friend,   thou   knowest    my   ignorance ;    I   love    the    messenger   of  God  who 

excels  all. 
Cast  out  of  thy  heart  the  desire  to  have  things  given  to   thee ;    the  glorious 

One  will  give  to  thee,  He  is  the  giver  of  all. 
Give  up  being   hastily  angry,  my   brother  ;    thou  lovest   that  it  should  be  said 

to  thee,  Thou  excellest  all. 
30  Thou  art  proud  because  it  is  said  thou   excellest  all ;   thou  revilest  men,  alas, 

thou  fool. 
Men  praise  thee   therefore,   in    order   that   thou    mayest  give  them  something ; 

they  say  of  thee,  This  man  excels  all. 
Thou  swellest  with  pride,  thou  fool ;  thus  the  world  deceiveth  (thee). 
When   thou    hearest   its    words,   my    brother,    repent ;    leave    off    saying    thou 

excellest  all. 
When   anyone   in   the   world   revileth   or   abuseth   thee,   regard  it   not,  for  the 

sake  of  the  exalted  and  mighty  One. 
35  Why   dost   thou   then   speak   evil  ?      The   exalted   and  mighty  King   beholdeth 

thee. 
Wilt   thou    then  give   heed  to  my  warning  ?    fear  the  meeting  with  Him  who 

has  power  over  all. 
Thou  lovest  the  world,  my  friend,  which  is  passing  away;  behold  the  prophets, 

there  is  not  one  (left). 
Look  back  to  Adam,  to   all   (the  prophets  and)  Seth  ;    they  have  gone  to  the 

place  of  Him  who  has  power  over  all. 
Where   is    Edris,    Noah    and    Hud  ?     they    have    gone    to    the    place    of    the 

mighty  King. 

24.  The  verse   here    quoted    is    taken  from   Surah  xlix.    13   "Behold   the  noblest 
of  you  in  the  sight  of  God  is  the  most  pious  of  you." 

IaaAa.   haMho?^  Ar.    "  truly "    is   not  a  part  of   the   quotation,    but  is  here  used  as 
a  Hausa  word. 

25.  Ujij    hid^a]    Ar.     Acju    bid'at,    lit.     "  anything    new,"    so    "  that    which    is 
evil." 

26.  cj^  rvorgci]  a  Sokoto  usage  for  (^j  wonan ;   in  Katsena    cjj   ivoga  is  used. 

27.  j^i-jJ  haigi]  Ar.    i*j  hag  "to  devote  oneself  entirely  to." 

28.  .i)UI    jj^    son   abaka\    "  the    desire    that    it   may  be  given    to   thee,"   or   we 
may  perhaps  read  suna  baka  "  they  gave  thee." 


73 


F         Fa  aiyar  en  akramakum  hakika 

25  Ka  ber  bid'a  ka  aikata  surma  ahmad 
Dalili  worga  waka  duka  ga  kuran 
Abokiiia  ka  sanni  jahilina 
Ka  fidda  fa  zushianka  da  son  abaka 
Ka  ber  saurin  fushi  ya  dan  uwana 


dalili  ko  akan  niaitanbaiawa 
fiyayin  annabinmu  da  ya  fi  kowa 
dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 
ina  baigi  rasulu  da  ya  fi  kowa 
ta'ala  shi  ka  baka  shi  badi  kowa 
kana  so  wai  ashe  kai  ka  fi  kowa 


30  Kana  kuma  kunburawa  wai  ka  fi  kowa        kana  zagi  mutane  kaito  wawa 
Mutane  na  yabonka  fa  don  ka  basu  suna  she  wani  kai  dai  ka  fi  kowa 

Kana  kuma  shishika  girma  ya  hauka        karaan  nan  dunia  ta  ki  bada  wawa 


Fa  enda  ka  jita  waya  dan  uwata 
Fa  kowa  sabika  ya  zagika  dunia 
35  Fa  domi  kai  kana  sabon  ta'ala 
Ka  son  dai  kankana  jin  gargadina 
Ka  son  dunia  mayata  shi  aboki 
Ka  duba  tun  ga  adamu  duka  shitu 
Enna  edrisu  nuhu  kaza  da  hudu 


ka  tuba  ka  ber  shiawa  ka  fi  kowa 

ka  kali  don  ta'ala  maiiyawa 

yina  ganinka  sarki  maiiyawa 

ka  tsorshi  gamu  da  maiiko  ga  kowa 

ka  duba  annabawa  babu  kowa 
fa  sun  taffi  enda  maiiko  da  kowa 
fa  sun  taffi  enda  sarki  maiiyawa 


34.     jJlS  kali]  "to  regard  as  a  small  matter,"  cf.   Ar.  J3  kail  "to  be  small." 

36.  \jSj^  kankana]  equivalent  to  \Sj^^  da  kanka  "  thou  thyself." 

37.  ^yir^  mayata]  "passing  away,"  so  in  Ɗ  85. 
39.     u-^j^'  edrisu]  i.e.   Enoch. 

tjk£»  kaza]  Ar.   "thus,"  Hausa  hakanan. 

^yk  hudu]  Hud,  probably  to  be  identified  witli  Heber.  According  to  the 
Koran  he  was  sent  as  a  prophet  to  the  tribe  of  Ad,  an  idolatrous  tribe  of  Arabs 
in  ancient  times. 

R.  H.  10 


74 

4°  And   ye,    O    women,    repent,    take    the    (right)    way ;    fear    the    meeting   with 

Him  who  has  power  over  all. 
O    women,   cover   over   your    whole    body ;    fear    lest    the    fire    should   be    the 

covering  of  any  of  you. 
The  verse  (of  the  Koran  which  says)  "  Let  them  not  show  (their  ornaments)" 

is  sufficient  for  us,  and  (the  verse  which  says)  "  Let  them  draw  (their  veils)" 

is  a  reason  to  give  to  anyone. 
Where  too  is   Saleh   and   Lokman  ?    both    of  them   have   gone   to  the  place  of 

the  mighty  King. 
Where  again  is  (Abraham)  the  friend    of  God  ?   he  too  is  gone  to  the  place  of 

Him  who  has  power  over  all. 
45  Where   are   Isaac   and   Ishmael  ?    both   of    them   have    returned   to   the   realm 

of  the  Almighty. 
Where  are  Jacob  and  all  his  children  ?    they  have  gone  to  the  place  of  Him 

who  has  power  over  all. 
Where  are  Moses  and  Aaron  and  Lot  ?    they  have   gone   to   the   place  of  the 

mighty  King. 
Where    are    Jesus    and   Alexander,   both    of   them  ?     They   have    gone   to   the 

place  of  the  mighty  King. 
Where   are   David   and   his   son   Solomon  ?    they  left  not  the  dominion  of  the 

world  to  anyone  else, 
so  Thou   knowest   that   all    have   passed   away   whither    (the   world)  goeth ;    thou 

knowest  that  the  mighty  One  chooseth  not  for  any  (to  remain). 
Consider   the    excellency   of    the   prophets;    Mohammed   our   prophet   excelleth 

all. 
And    (thou    seest)    the    dignity   of    these    prophets;    may    God    grant    us    to 

accomplish  good  works. 
Thou    knowest    that    the    mighty    One    chooseth    not    (that)    anyone    (should 

continue) ;    He  (is)  the  exalted  and  glorious  One  who  has  power  over  all. 
Where   are    the    Hulhulanu    and    Nebuchadnezzar  ?    where   is   Nimrod,   a   great 

man   amongst   the   heathen  ? 


41.  wJU  bdubi]  spelt  U-iJ  luluhi  A  28,  "a  veil  from  the  head  to  the  feet." 

42.  jJL»^j...^jJjuj  yabdanu'na...tvalyalri\  should  be  ^J^-fiu^j-  j^J^  yuhdina... 
walyadrihna,  cf.  Koran  c.  24.  31  "Let  them  not  show  their  ornaments,  let  them 
draw  their  veils  over  their  bosoms." 

43.  Saleh  according  to  the  Koran  was  sent  as  a  prophet  to  the  idolatrous 
tribe  of  Thamud  in  Arabia,  but  was  rejected  by  them. 

Lokman,  a  wise  man  supposed  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Job.  He  is 
regarded  by  some  as  identical  with  the  Greek  Esop. 


75 

F    40  Fa  matau  ku  tuba  ku  kania  sunna  ku  tsorshi   ^faimi  da  luaiiko  (da)  kowa 

Fa  matan  ku  lulubi  du  jikinku  ku  tsorshi  fa  lulubi  11a  wuta  ga  kowa 

Fa  aiar  wa  yabdanuna  fa  ta  ishimu  da  walyalri  fa  dalili  .shi  ga  kowa 

Enna  kuma  salihii  lokmaiiu  svi  duka  fa  sun  caffi  cnda  sarki  maiiyawa 

Enna  kuma  shi  khalilu  allahi  shi  kua  fti  ya  taffi  enda  inaiiko  da  kowa 

45  Enna  isaku  ismalihi  su  duka  fa  sun  koma  ga  zati  maiiyawa 

Enna  yakubu  har  yayansa  su  duka  fa  sun  taffi  enda  maiiko  da  kowa 


Enna  musai  da  haruna  da  lotu 
Enna  isa  da  zalkarnini  su  duka 
Enna  dauda  har  dansa  sulaiman 


fa  sun  taffi  enda  sarki  maiiyawa 
fa  sun  taffi  enda  sarki  maiiyawa 
sarota  dunia  ba  su  ber  ga  kowa 


50  Ka  san  duka  su  taffi  duka  cnda   zatsa  ka  san  jabbaru  shi  bai  zabi  kowa 

Ka  duba  har  fiyayan  annabawa  muhammadu  annabinmu  da  ya  fi  kowa 

Da  alhurman  wodanan  annabawa  fa  allah  bamu  kikawan  shikawa 

Ku  san  jabbaru  shi  bai  zabi  kowa  ta'ala  jalla  maiiko  da  kowa 

Enna  kuma  hulhulanusu  bakhtnasr  enna  nimrudu  maiyan  kafirawa 


48.     v>*J/*Jl3  zalkarnini]   Alexander  the  Great. 

50.      Usii    zafm]    the    meaning    is    soniewliat    obscure.      We    should    probably    read 
UI3    zata  "will   go,"   and   understand   \.^^i   dunia  before  it. 

52.     (>-6>*"   ^'urnum]    cf.    Ar.  jijA.    Mr  in.    "dignity." 

^J^\Si£s  kikawan']  should  api)arently   be  ^J$\Si£'  aikatcan  (cf.   MS.)    "  works." 

54.     ^'^^  Jnilhnlannxu]  unintelligible  ;    MS.   apparently  corrupt. 


76 

55  Where  is  the  Sheddad,  who  built  the  mighty  palace  ?  where  is  Goliath,  a  great 

man  amongst  the  heathen  ? 
Where   is    Manzur  and  Iwaja   in  the  world  ?    they  like  Pharaoh  (were)  wicked 

heathen. 
Where   are    Haman   and   Karun   in   the   world  ?    they  had   riches,  there   to-day 

they  have  nothing. 
Where  is  Bilkis,  the  woman  who  possessed  a  kingdom  ?  she  was  a  Mussulman, 

she  came  to  see  the  prophets. 
Where    are    they    themselves    to-day    in    the    world  ?    they    had    riches,   there 

to-day  they  have  nothing. 
60  Where   too  are  Abu  Jahl  and  Harith  ?  where  is  Walid,  a  great  man  amongst 

the  heathen  ? 
Abu  Lahab,  Moseilima  and  Obba  they  are  there  in  hell,  to-day  they  possess  nothing. 
Thou    knowest    that    in    the   world   we    stay   but   a   short    time,   in   the    other 

world  we  shall  continue. 
Though    thou   desirest    to    be    king    in    this   world,   thou    knowest    that    thou 

shalt  lie  down  alone  in  the  tomb. 
Consider  the  great  kings,  there  to-day  in  the  next  world  they  have  nothing. 
65  Leave   off    rejoicing   and   seeking   after   this   world,    thou   knowest   indeed   how 

easily  it  draws  thee  (away). 
Thou    knowest    how   to    obtain   (good)   by   following    the    way   of    Mohammed, 

and  by  faith  and  by  the  completion  of  good  works. 
Repent,   seek   provisions   for   the   way   that    thou    mayest    prepare   to   make   a 

journey,  for  there  is  no  continuance  for  anyone. 
Because   this  journey,  without   preparation   made   in  this  world,  is  troublesome 

and  toilsome  to  anyone. 

55.  Sheddad  son  of  Ad  is  said  to  have  built  a  garden  in  Arabia  in  imita- 
tion of  Paradise.  When  it  was  finished  he  and  his  companions  set  out  to  see 
it,  but  were  destroyed  by  a  terrible  noise  from  heaven. 

j-oij-e  maikasr]  cf.  Ar.  jmaI  ka-p'  "palace"  or  "castle."     Cf.  Lat.  castrum. 

ju^  mashid]  Ar.  lit.   "cemented  with  gypsum,"  so  "strong." 

56.  ^J^JS  Jli^auna]  Ar.  ^j^j^  fir^ami  "Pharaoh"  or  "a  tyrant  such  as  Pharaoh 
was." 

57.  ^^UIa  hamana']  "Haman."  According  to  the  Koran,  c.  27.  5,  this  was 
the  name  of  Pharaoh's  chief  minister. 

^^jjll  karmia]  Karun  is  to  be  identified  with  Korah.  According  to  Moham- 
medan tradition  his  opposition  to  Moses  was  the  result  of  insolence  caused  by 
his  immense  wealth. 

58.  tr***^  hilkisii]  Bilkis  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  name  of  the  queen  of 
Sheba. 

^3  -ny^]  should  be  jj  zo  "came." 


77 


F    55  Eiina  sheddadu  maikasru  almashidi 
Enna  manzur  enna  iwaju  ga  di'inia 
Su  hamana  su  karuna  ga  dunia 
Enna  bilkisu  mashi  da  ta  yi  mulki 
Enna  dakaianusu  yo  nan  ga  dunia 
60  Enna  kuma  shi  abiijahil  da  harich 
Abulahbi  musailima  bar  iibanu 
Ka  san  dunia  kadan  muka  jinjimawa 
Kadan  ka  so  ka  malika  diiniarga 
Ka  dubi  sarakuna  duka  maiamaia 


enna  jaluta  maiyan  kafirawa 

su  firauna  miagun  kafirawa 

da  sunka  vvodata  yo  shan  ba  su  kowa 

da  ta  nisulumta  ta  zayi  annabawa 

da  sunka  wodata  yo  shan  ba  su  kowa 

enna  su  walidu  maiyan  kafirawa 

suna  shan  a  lakhira  yo  ba  su  kowa 

a  daki  a  lakhira  muka  tabettawa 

ka  san  kai  dai  ka  kwantawar  kushiwa 

suna  shan  a  lakhira  yo  ba  su  kowa 


65  Ka  ber  murna  da  neman  nan  ta  dunia  ka  san  dai  ba  wuya  ta  ka  sunbuliwa 

Ka  san  samu  ga  bin  sunnar  muhammad  da  aiman  da  kikawar  shikawa 

Ka  tuba  ka  nemi  guzuri  don  ka  shiria  yinin  taffiar  da  babu  zama  ga  kowa 

Zama  taffiar  da  ba  guzuri  ga  dunia  azaba  shi  fa  taba  shi  ga  kowa 


60.  Abujahl,  one  of  Mohammed's  chief  opponents ;  he  was  killed  at  the  battle 
of  Bedr. 

*^jl».  harich]  i.e.  Harith  VII.,  prince  of  the  Beni  Ghassan. 

Al  Walid,  an  enemy  of  Mohammed.  He  is  said  to  have  been  killed  by  the 
angel  Gabriel  for  his  opposition  to  Mohammed. 

61.  Abu  Lahab,  uncle  of  Mohammed  and  his  bitter  opponent. 

Moseilama,  a  diminutive  form  of  Moslama,  who  was  a  rival  prophet  of  Mohammed 
and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Yemama. 

Obba-ibn-Khalf  received  a  Avound  from  Mohammed  at  the  battle  of  Ohod  from 
which  he  afterwards  died. 

63.      [ij^^y  duiiiarya]  so  line  71.     Sokoto  use  for  ^^tjj^i  dunia  nan. 

65.  t^;.L;i..>  sunhidiiva]  "draw  out,"  or  it  should  perhaps  be  aon  btilitva  "loves 
to  make  trial  of,"  cf.  Ar.  ^Jj  hala  "to  test." 

66.  jjbC^s  MkaiDar]  should  apparently  be  ljliC*c  aikawa  (cf.   MS.)   "works." 

67.  i^j^  yiuiit]  for  ^|^  na  yia. 

68.  L*3  tdba]   Ar.  wn*3  ta^ab   "fatigue." 


78 

Thou    shalt   by   no   means   ever    return    from    this    journey ;    when    thcni    hast 

set  thy  face  (towards  the  next  world)  there  is  no  turning  round. 
70  Make  preparation,  thou  art  going  towards   the   grave,  my  brother ;    when  thou 

comest  to  it  there  is  no  returning  again. 
Thou    knowest    that   in   this   world    there   is   no    place   in   which    to   sit   down 

or  to  stay ;   thou  wilt  leave  this  place  then  without  doubt. 
The   world   is   a   city  which    is   and   (after  a  while)  is   not,  thou   knowest   this 

world  will  soon  destroy  the  fool. 
If  then    this    world    had    continued   as   a   city   from   olden   time,  thou    wouldst 

meet  the  messengers  (of  God)  and  the  prophets. 
Look   back    to   Adam ;   (our)  ancestors   have   all   passed    away,  and   Mohammed 

who  excels  all. 
75  Hasten  to  arise  from  sleep,  my  brother ;  fear  then  the  sleep  within  the  tomb. 
Fear    the     day    of    death    which     is     coming ;    though    thou    hast    made    no 

preparation,    thou    wilt   certainly   (have    to)   go. 
Thy  parents   and   thy  brothers  will  surround  thee,  they  will   all  come  to  thee, 

none  of  them  have  any  power  (to  help). 
Medicine   is   brought  and   put  in  water  and   given   to   thee,  they  give   it   thee 

to  drink  in  order  that  thou  mayest  become  better. 
Thou   stretchest    thy   limbs,   thou   criest   out   and    groanest ;    of    all    who    love 

thee  where  is  one  that  can  help  ? 
80  Thine  eye  closes,  thy  life  departs ;   those  who  love  thee  can  but  pray  again. 
Some   will   utter   a   prayer,   some   will    lament,  thou    thyself  hast   set   thy  face 

to  a  place  whence  is  no  looking  back. 
And    the    dead    man's    children    and    wives    will    lament,   the    men    will    say, 

(Behold)  the  power  of  the  Almighty. 
The  men    will   say.   Be    patient,   cease   (lamenting),   behold    the   power   of    the 

glorious  One,  there  is  no  continuance  for  anyone. 
They   give   not   way   to   tears,    for   they   are   powerless,   and   the   mighty    King 

hath  power  over  them, 
85  Where    is    this    greatness    of    thine    and    thy    lovers  ?     to-day    thou    liest    in 

the    tomb, 

70,     ^jj-i  barzakhu]  Ar.   "time  between  death  and  resurrection,"  "tomb," 
^3^3  if^oiwuwci]  for  IjLj^j  woiivoiawa,  as  in  line  above. 

72.  ju  hada\  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  we  should  read  bata  "destroy."  Cf. 
B  108,  note;    or  hada  wawa  may  be  equivalent  to  "deceives,"  cf,  line  32, 

73,  The  sense  is  somewhat  uncertain  ;  the  argument  apparently  being  "  If  this 
world  were  like  a  city  whose  inhabitants  changed  not,  you  would  meet  now  all 
who  have  ever  lived  in  it." 

78,     Ua.1  aji1cd\  lit.   "it  is  moistened." 
v6»»i  fa  dom]  must  be  intended  for  ^;^j»i  /a  don. 
t^AC  afua'\  cf.   III.  form  of  Ar,  ^Afr    '«/«  "to  restore  to  health." 


79 
F         Bali  taffiar  tutiit  ba  zaka  koma  kadan  ka  sa  gabba  ba  woiwoiawa 

70  Ka  shiria  zaka  barzakhu  dan  uwana  kadan  ka  je  ka  ba  konia  da  woiwuwa 

Ka  san  duniarga  babu  bigri  ka  zamna      gari  nan  zaka  borshi  fa  babu  wawa 
Tana  da  kamar  gari  kowa  ba  gari  ba        ka  san  duniarga  maza  ta  ka  bada  wawa 
•     Fa  en  dai  da  gari  shi  duniarga 

Ka  duba  tun  ga  adamu  awalinsu 
75  Ka  razana  dagga  kwana  dan  uwata 


ka  iski  mursalina  da  annabawa 

fa  sun  taffi  bar  ga  ahmada  ya  fi  kowa 

ka  tsorshi  fa  kunshia  ta  shikin  kushiwa 


Ka  tsorshi  fa  randa  mutua  ta  ishima        da  ba  ka  shiri  fa  ka  taffi  babu  wawa 


lyayi  yan  uwaka  su  ki  wuyka 
Akawa  magani  ajika  abaka 
Kana  mika  kana  kara  da  nishi 
80  Ido  shim  birkishi  raia  fishima 
Wodansu  suna  sallati  wonsu  kuka 
Ɗa  yarayi  da  matayi  ka  kuka 


su  taro  agareka  du  kan  ba  maiiyawa 
su  baka  ka  sha  fa  dom  fa  ka  sami  afua 
masowa  duk  enna  maitainiakawa 
masowa  naka  sai  kuma  sahuawa 
fa  kai  ka  sa  gabba  ba  woiwoiwa 
maza  na  she  fa  iko  maiiyawa 


Maza  na  she  ku  hankuri  akan  ku  daina       fa  iko  jalla  babu  zama  ga  kowa 
Suna  karfi  halli  don  ba  su  iko  fa  yan  ikonsa  sarki  maiiyawa 

85  Enna  girmanga  naka  enna  masowa  ta  yo  kai  dai  ka  kuntawa  kushiwa 


79.  1^«-.«  masowa]  usually  pronounced  masoiya,  pi.  of  maso  "a  lover." 

80.  ^^  shiyri]  a  Sokoto  use  for  ^^  shina,  cf.  line  78. 

81.  u^3  ^f-^oiisti]  a  shortened  form  of  ^^j^i^  wodansu  "some." 

82.  Ls^'j^J    yarayi]    an   irregular    plural    of   yaro    "child,"    the    usual   form    being 
IjL;  yara ;    so  too  tnatayi  for  mala. 

84.     ,JL».    ^ij.d   karfi  halli]  lit.   "  they  have   a  strong  disposition,"  i.e.    "  they  do 
not  give  way  to  crying." 

u~J  y^'  Ot^  /*  ;'A"^  ikoiisa]  lit.  "they  are  children  of  His  power,  the  mighty  King." 


80 

Where  is  the   protection  on  the  part  of  those  who   praised   thee  ?   to-day  they 

carry  thee  to  the  place  of  burial. 
Truly  it   was    falsehood    they   spake    concerning    thee,    they    loved    thee    not ; 

(even  though)  they  love  thee,  thou  hast  no  power  to-day. 
A  small  piece  of  white  cloth   is   brought   and   prepared,  it  is  completely  sewn 

and  joined  together. 
Some  will  arise  and  go  thus  to  the  grave,  wood  is  cut  for  the  grave. 
90  Water   is   brought   for   thee,   the   washing   is   completed,  thou    art   washed   and 

cleaned  for  burial. 
A   shroud   is   made   for   thee,    thou   art   wrapped  therein,    thou    art    taken   out 

of  thy  house,  thou  fool. 
A   line   (of    men)   is    formed,   the    saying    of    prayer   is    completed,   alas,   thou 

knowest  not  what  is  done,  thou  fool. 
When   they  have  finished   praying   they  take   thee,  and   carry  thee,  and  thrust 

thee  into  the  grave. 
A  little  piece  of  wood  is   brought   and   is   secreted ;    some   place   pots   also,  or 

treasures. 
95  A  little  new  grass   is  brought  and    pressed   down ;    by   the    feet   of  all  is   thy 

grave  pressed  down. 
Earth   is   mixed   and   kneaded   up   again;    dry   earth   is   brought   (and    placed) 

above  the  tomb. 
They  wash  their  hands  thus  and  their  feet,  they  all  salute  one  another. 
They   scatter   in   silence,  they   leave    thee   in    the   grave ;    thou    thyself    criest 

but  there  is  no  coming  out. 
Thy    goods    are    divided,    rejoicing    is    made,    thy    goods    are    given    to    thy 

children,   each   is   given   something. 
100  Thou  art  forgotten,  no  share  is   put   out   for   thee ;    the  pain    in   the  tomb   is 

sufficient  for  thee. 
The   angels   Nakir   and    Munkari   come    forth    to    thee,   thou   art   in   thy   grave 

alone,  no  one  is  with  thee. 

86.  ^ji5  karaiar]  "protection  of,"  the  final  j  r  being  used  instead  oi  ^J  n ; 
or  we  may  read  karia  "where  are  the  lies  spoken  by..." 

jVj^^l  ^  ^  su  ni  akaika]  apparently  equivalent  to  su  ni  kaika  "they  carry 
thee." 

88.  iCjS  ^i  dan  /ari]  lit.  "  son  of  white,"  i.e.  small  piece  of  white  (cloth). 
For  similar  use  of  dan  cf.  lines  94,  95. 

89.  It  is  customary  to  place  small  branches  of  trees  in  the  grave  with  the 
corpse,  coffins  not  being  used. 

90.  1.«  ma^  for  maka. 

l^-aJt  allowa]  washing  before  praying,  cf.   Ar.  ^-«3   "an  ablution." 

91.  i<i*^    iikafani]    "winding    sheet,"    cf.    Ar.    ^>a^    kafan.      The    I   must    be 


81 

Enna  karaiar  fa  masuyabonka  kulum  fa  yo  su  ni  akaika  wuriii  kushiwa 

Ashe  karia  su  ki  maka  ba  su  sonka  fa  sun  so  ba  ka  iko  yo  da  kowa 

Akawo  dan  fari  kuma  za  ashiria  adumka  duk  ana  kuma  gangamawa 

Wodansu  su  tashi  zasu  hakan  kushiwa  anasaran  itashi  don  kushiwa 

90  Akama  ma  rua  agama  da  allowa  awanki  ka  fa  gaslu  zaman  kushiwa 

Asa  maka  dan  likafani  kuma  asunki  afishika  ga  dakin  naka  vvawa 

Atsaida  safFu  assalla  shika  kaito  fa  kai  ba  ka  san  abinda  akai  ba  wawa 

Idan  sun  kari  salki  kuma  su  doka  su  kaika  su  zonkutsaka  shikin  kushiwa 

Akawo  dan  itashi  kuma  ajira  tukani  wonsu  ko  suka  alazawa 

95  Akawo  dan  haki  ganyi  aduntsi  kafafi  duk  aduntsima  kushiwa 

Akvvaba  kasa  ana  kuma  lalabawa  ajawo  kikasasa  akan  kushiwa 

Su  wanki  hanuansu  kaza  kafafu  suna  kuma  gaisuar  jiuna  ga  kowa 

Su  washi  shiu  su  berka  chikin  kushiwa  ka  kuka  dakanka  babu  wurin  fitowa 

Araraba  dukiarka  adora  murna  fa  yayaya  abasu  abaivva  kowa 

100  Fa  anmanta  dakai  ba  afidda  naka  azaba  ta  ishika  shikin  kushiwa 

Nakiri  da  munkari  su  fito  sfareka  kana  kabrinka  kai  dai  babu  kowa 


the    Arabic    article   al,    which    has   become    part    of    the    word    in    Hausa,    cf.     lafia 
from    Ar.    ^afiat. 

92.     lit.   "a  line  is  made  to  stand  up." 

94.  ijilj)    O^  ^^^^   itashi\  lit.    "a    son  of    wood,"  i.e.  a  little  piece  of  wood  ;    cf. 
dan  haki  in  following  line. 

j-JljCJ  tnkan%\  pi.    of  tukunia    "a    cooking   pot."     Broken    pots    are   often  placed 
in  the  grave  with  the  corpse. 

95.  15*^  gct'^yi]  for  i<i*c  gainyi  "fresh." 

98.     ^  shlii]  equivalent  to  ^j^  shiru  "  silently,"  cf.  B  54. 

101.     For   account  of   examination    of    the    dead    in    the    grave    cf.    D  41,    note. 
R.  H.  11 


82 

If    thou    art    a    believer    thou    Avilt    answer,    and    the    joy    of    the    Lord  will 

fill  the  whole  tomb. 
The  frankincense   of  heaven   and   its   pleasures  (will  be  thine),  and  the  Houris 

will  walk  within  thy  tomb. 
And  the  angels  will   rejoice  with  thee  there,  in  the  light  where  is  no  darkness 

or  loneliness. 
105  If  thou  art  a  profligate  thou  wilt  see  humiliation ;    Nakir  (and  his  companion) 

will  turn  thee  over  in  the  grave. 
They  will  beat  thee  till  thou  art  sore ;  thou  wilt  cry,  but  help  will  be  refused. 
They   will    beat    thee    with    sticks    and    whips ;    thou    wilt   groan,   where    will 

there  be  any  to  help  ? 
The    tomb    will    press    thee,    they   will    beat    thee,    thou    wilt    remain    there 

constantly   without   turning. 
Scorpions   and   snakes   will   gather   together,   and   with    insects    will   pour  forth 

poison, 
no  They  will  bite   thee   then,  thou  wilt   have   no   power  to  turn,  thou  wilt  remain 

there  continually  alone. 
Thou  wilt  remain  therefore  till  the  resurrection  day ;   on  that  day  the  glorious 

One  will  raise  up  every  one. 
The   trumpet    shall    sound,   all    shall   rise   and    at   once   come   to   the   place   of 

standing. 
And  a  line  of  fifty  thousand  shall  be  made,  by  the  glorious  and  mighty  King. 
The   sun   will   draw  nigh    and   send   forth   heat   upon   men ;   it  will  burn    their 

heads,  it  will  split  them. 
115  And    those  who  have   committed   sin  will   on   that   day  be  ashamed;   they  will 

have  an  evil  odour  poured  upon  them. 
And  hypocrites   and   evil-doers  shall   be  ashamed ;   with  them  shall  be  gathered 

all  the  heathen. 
There   shall   be   crying   and   thirst   and   hunger,  alas ;   they  are  pierced  through 

(with  pain),  none  of  them  have  any  to  help. 
The   angels   of  the   fire  will    surround   them  all,  by  the   power  of  the  glorious 

and  mighty  King. 
There  will  be   weeping   each   for   himself,  and   there  will    be   no   helper   at   all 

for  you. 

103.     j>{j»JI    j^^    huru-l-Hni]    Ar.    lit.    "  antelopes    with    large    eyes."     In   Arabic 

poetry  women  are  frequently  called  antelopes  or  gazelles.  According  to  Moham- 
medan tradition  each  believer  will  have  seventy-two  of  these  Houris  as  wives,  cf. 
line  228. 

105.  N)i  zilla]  Ar.   Ji  zuU  "humiliation." 

106.  L.«Ci.*i^^  ktishikushia]  usually  applied  to  itch  on  the  hands  or  feet. 


83 


F         Izan  dai  nmmini  ka  ka  kai  jawaba 
Tuiari  duk  na  aljenna  da  nima 
Malaiku  suna  murna  da  kai  shan 

105  Idan  kua  fasiki  ka  ka  ka  ga  zilla 
Siina  dirkanka  har  kushikushia 
Kulakin  karfuna  suka  zunbiidama 
Kushiwa  ta  matsika  suna  bugunka 
Kunamai  duk  su  gaia  raashizai 

iioSu  chia  fa  ba  ka  iko  jirkitawa 
Ka  zamna  nan  fa  har  ranan  kiama 
Abusa  kafo  antashi  duk  atashi 
Saffu  kua  har  dubu  khamsin  akanyi 
Fa  rana  ta  kusa  toi  akan  mutani 

115  Fa  masuzina  fa  ranan  su  ka  kumia 
Munafikai  da  fasikai  ka  kumia 
Anakuka  kishirua  kaito  junwa 
Malaiku  wuta  sun  kiwoiyi  duk 
Anakuka  fa  kowa  ana  ta  kai  nasa 


fa  nima  cr-rabbu  ta  shika  du  kushiwa 

da  huru-l-'ini  na  yavvo  kushiwa 

shikin  au-nur  fa  babu  duiu  da  kiwa 

nakiri  suki  wuiyaka  shikin  kushiwa 

kana  kuka  anamanaa  gazawa 

kana  nishi  ana  maitaimakawa 

ka  zamna  nan  tutur  ba  jirkitawa 

da  sususi  deffi  su  ka  bungulawa 

ka  zamna  nan  tutur  kuma  babu  kowa 

yini  nan  jalla  kua  shi  ka  tada  kowa 

fa  saa  dai  ataru  wurin  tsaia 

da  iko  jalla  sarki  maiiyawa 

tana  kona  fli  kainua  na  fashiwa 

suna  doii  mugunya  na  zuba 

su  tarua  da  su  da  jania'u  al-kafirawa 

anasoki  babu  duk  man.ia  gazawa 

da  ikon  jalla  sarki  maiiyawa 

fa  ba  maitainiaka  maku  babu  kowa 


109.     Ij'^JLa^  hungtdawa\  a  Sokoto  word,  "pour  forth,"  cf.  line  190. 

111.  (^  ylni\  lit.  "the  time  remaining  till  evening,"  or  "to  continue  doing 
anything  till  evening."     Here  used  in  ordinary  sense  of  "a  day." 

117.      13-0»  j}iyiwa\  for  Ij^  ynnwa,  pronounced  yunywa,  "hunger." 

JLwlil  anasoki]  lit.  "it  is  pierced  through."  The  sense  of  the  remaining  words  is 
obscure,  lit.   "  not  all  hinder  help." 


84 

F  120  If  there   be   a   long   delay   on   the   day   of    the   resurrection,   they   will    go    to 

the  messengers  (of  God)  and  the  prophets, 
In   order   that    they   may   go    to    the    glorious    King,   the   most   glorious   One 

who  has  power  over  everything. 
They   will   say,  0    Adam,    thou   art   our   father,  do   thou  seek  salvation  for  us 

from  the  Almighty. 
He  will  say  on  that  day,  I  myself  have  no  power,  only  Noah  has  such. 
(If  you)   go   to    Noah,  he  will   say,   O   men,   go   to   the    Friend   (of  God),   the 

faithful   one  who  has  (all)  power. 
125  (If  you)   go   to   Abraham,   the   Friend   (of  God),   he   too   will   say,   I   have   no 

power  to-day  to  save  anyone ; 
Go   to   Moses,   my  brethren ;    he   will  go  to  the  glorious  One  who  has   power 

over  all. 
If   you    go    to    him,    he    will    say.    Go    back    to    Jesus,    he    will    go    to    the 

almighty  King. 
If  you   go   to   Jesus,   he    will   say,    Go   back    to  Mohammed,  our  prophet,  who 

excels  all. 
For   he    is    the    protector    of  sinners,    Mohammed,   the   believer  in   God,   who 

excels  all. 
130  They  will  go  to  him  and  say  to  him,  0   Mohammed,    who   excellest   all,   seek 

for  us  salvation. 
He   will    say,  (Behold  my)  relations,   0  glorious  King,  O  Thou  who  promisest 

that  which  is  true,  Thou  art  almighty. 
He   will   speak,   he   will   prostrate   himself    in   the   presence   of  the    King;    he 

will  say.  These  are  my  people,  O  almighty  One. 
It  will   be   said  to  him.  Raise  thyself  up,  O  Mohammed,  there  is  no  prostra- 
tion to-day  for  thee,  who  excellest  all. 
And   that  which    thou   desirest   we   give   thee,   O   Mohammed,  we  choose  thee, 

who  excellest  all. 
135  He  will  say,  I  desire  salvation,  O  God,  most  glorious  and  almighty. 

God   will   say.  Let  it   be  granted   to  thee;    verily  we  desire  judgment  for  all, 

by  the  power  of  the  glorious  King  the  almighty  One. 

120.  ^^    saii/i]    lit.    "a   temporary  booth    or  covering  for  the  night,"  used  here 
for  "a  delay." 

121.  j«i««jt    aisuzo]   apparently   intended    for    ,^j3t    azosu    "let    them    go"    or 
"they  will  go." 

124.  ,>j^t  amini]  Ar.   "faithful." 

125.  ^^5-~w  shi  si]  apparently  intended  for  ^J^  shi  che  "he  says." 
j-rf  sai-]  ior  jh  ov  j^  tsira  "saves." 

129.     M^  shafi'-u]  Ar.  "mediator"  or  "protector." 
,j-wjjc«  muznihina]  Ar.   "sinners,"  of.  zanha  "crime,"  E  25. 


85 

F   1 20  Ida(n)  fa  saiyi  kiama  tsawita  azo  da  ga  rnursalina  da  amabawa 

Fa  domin  aisuzo  sun  ga  jalla  sarki  fa  jalla  jallan  raaiiko  da  kowa 

Su  she  3'a  adamu  kai  ni  ubainu  ka  nimo  a  gajinmu  ga  inaiiyawa 

Shi  she  yo  ba  ni  iko  ko  ga  kaiiia  fa  saiko  niihu  ko  fa  shina  iyawa 

Azo  fa  ga  nuhu  shi  che  miitane  ku  zo  ga  khalilu  amini  maiiyawa 

125  Azo  ga  khalilu  ibrahima  shi  kua  shi  si  yo  ba  ni  iko  sar  da  kowa 

Ku  zo  ku  ga  musai  ya  ku  yan  uwana  shi  zo  shi  ga  jalla  maiiko  da  kowa 

Idan  anzo  gareshi  ya  she  ku  koma  ga  isai  shi  je  ga  sarki  maiiyawa 

Idan  anzo  ga  isai  ya  she  ku  koma  ga  ahmadu  annabinmu  da  ya  fi  kowa 

Zama  shini  shafi'u  al-muznibina  aminu  allahi  ahmada  ya  fi  kowa 

130  Azo  gareshi  ashe  masa  ya  muhammad  bido  shetonmu  kai  ni  ka  fi  kowa 

Shina  she  umati  3^a  jalla  sarki  mawa'adu  ka  hakk  kai  ni  maiiyawa 

Shi  fadi  shina  sujuda  inda  zati  shina  she  umati  ya  maiiyawa 

Ashe  masa  tasa  kanka  fa  ya  muhammad  fa  babu  sujuda  yo  kai  ka  fi  kowa 

Fa  mi  ka  ka  so  mu  baka  fa  ya  muhammad  fa  mun  zabika  kai  ni  ka  fi  kowa 

135  Shi  je  jeto  na  ki  so  ya-llahuma  fa  jalla  jallana  maiiko  da  kowa 

Ashe  anbaka  ai  mu  so  du  hisabli  da  ikon  jalla  sarki  maiiyawa 

131.  jkCyc  mawa^adti]  "one  who  promises,"  cf.   Ar.  js-^  tva'ad  "to  promise." 

132.  3^a»^rf  snjvda\  Ar.   "to  make  a  prostration,"   usually  spelt  aajada,  cf.   D  34. 
In  Arabic  sujud  would  be  the  verbal  noun,  and  sajada  the  perfect. 

jJli  zati]  in  F  45  zati  is  equivalent  to  "realm,"  here  apparently  it  means  "king." 

135.  ^i^  L<t^  ^^^  j^  cheto\  for  ^2*^  ly^  *'^**  ^^'^  cheto. 

^^yJUlj   i/a-llahmna]   "O  God."     The    MS.    is    here    very   indistinct,    but  this    seems 
the  most  })robable  reading. 

136.  ^JLjUm^     hisabli]     should     perhaps     be     ^-i     ^L..*.     hisabi     ni,     cf.     MS. 
"judgment."     Cf.  Ar.  ^1*^».  hisdb. 


86 

And  the  will  of  God  shall  bring  together  all  creatures,  it  will  bring  them  to 

the  fire  without  doubt. 
For  (the  saying)  "  And  thy  Lord  shall  come "  is  true,  and  this  verse  (of  the 

Koran)  is  a  (sufficient)  reason  to  (give  to)  anyone. 
The  judgment  is  completed,  actions  are   weighed ;    the  balance  is  brought  for 

everything. 
140  We   shall  be  placed  according  to  the  list  of  our  deeds ;   the  Mussulmans  will 

cleave  to  the  right  hand. 
Hypocrites   and  profligates    shall    cry   out ;    (in   accordance    with)   their  list  (of 

deeds)  they  shall  cleave  to  the  left  hand. 
They   shall   begin   to   call   out,    (they   shall    have)   trouble  (upon)  trouble,  pain 

shall  come  upon  them,  without  doubt. 
The   bridge   shall   be    set   up    in   the    fire,    men   shall   ascend   upon   it   by   the 

power  of  the  Almighty. 
And   its   sharp   edge   and    slipperiness   shall   pierce   them;   its  path  is   (as  fine 

as)  a  hair,  without  doubt. 
145  It   takes   many   thousands   of    years   (to   cross) ;    its   height   and   its   length    is 

the  same,  without  doubt. 
The  bridge,  we  understand,  has  seven  turns,  and  the  questions  asked  at  each 

are  all  different. 
Behold,   at   the   first   turn  thou  wilt    hear  (the  question  concerning)   the  unity 

(of  God) ;   thou  wilt  be  still  further  questioned,  without  doubt. 
At   the   second   thou  wilt  hear   (the  question)  about   purification,  at  the  third 

about  prayer,  at  the  fourth  about  fasting,  without  doubt. 
At   the    fifth    turn    thou    wilt    hear    of    giving    tithes ;    thou    wilt    be    further 

questioned,  wdthout  doubt. 
150  At   the   sixth   turn   thou   wilt   hear   of  obedience    to   parents,  thou  fool ;    thou 

wilt  be  further  questioned,  without  doubt. 
(Thou   wilt   be   asked   if  thou   hast)   bidden   (men   to   do   that   which   is)  good 

and  kept  them  back  from  evil ;   this  is  the  seventh  question  for  each. 
When   thou   hast   reached  all   (the  turns)   on   the  resurrection  day,  thou   shalt 

remain  there  in  the  heavenly  home. 

137.  \jjJ  kudira]  Ar.  jj>S  kadar  "destiny,"  "will  of  God." 

138.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  Ixxxix.  23,  "Thy  Lord  shall  come  and  the 
angels,  rank  by  rank." 

140.  «2ij|  aiku]  "deeds,"  plural  of  aiki.  Li  previous  line  Uut  aiuka  occurs  as 
its  plural. 

141.  Or  we  should  perhaps  translate  "they  will  hold  their  list  in  the  left 
hand,"  and  in  the  previous  line  "the  Mussulmans  will  hold  theii^s  in  the  right 
hand." 

143.     Lit.  "there  shall  be  going  up,  there  shall  be  ascending  by  the  power..." 


87 


F         Fa  kudira  ta  gabato  talikai  duk 

Zama  fa  waja'a  rabbuka  shi  hakika 
Akari  ko  hisabi  har  aiuka 
140  Ajefo  har  takardun  aikii  namu 
Mimafikai  da  fasikai  ka  kuka 
Su  dora  kira  chabura  ya  chabura 
Fa  ankafa  kua  sirati  chikin  jahima 
Da  kaifi  kua  da  samtsi  duk  za  soka 


jahannama  ta  gabato  babu  wawa 
fa  aia  nan  dalili  shi  ga  kowa 
awimsu  nan  akai  da  mizani  ga  kowa 
musulmi  nasu  dama  su  ki  rikawa 
takardu  nasa  hauni  su  ki  rikawa 
azaba  ta  ishesu  fa  babu  wawa 
atashi  ahau  da  ikon  maiiyawa 
karamta  taswa  gashi  babu  wawa 


145  Dubu  kua  har  alif  shekara  kutumshi         hawa  nasa  har  sawo  nasa  babu  wawa 


Sirati  mun  ji  tozo  ni  bokkoi  ni 
Ga  tozo  ni  nafari  ko  akaji  tauhida 
Nabiu  lullo  fa  salla  ka  ji  nauku 
Ga  tozo  fa  nabiar  ka  ji  zaka 
150  Na  shidda  fa  bin  iyayi  ka  ji  wawa 


fa  su  duka  tanbaia  banbam  ga  kowa 
akan  kuma  tanbaiarka  fa  babu  wawa 
nafutsu  fa  ka  ji  azumi  babu  wawa 
akan  kuma  tanbaiarka  fa  babu  wawa 
akan  kuma  tanbaiarka  ftx  babu  wawa 


Da  amru  da  kiota  kuma  da  hanna  da      akan    kuma    tambaia    na     bokkoi    ga 
munkar  kowa 

Kadan  ka  zo  da  su  duk  ran  kiama  giddan  aljenna  shan  ka  ka  tabettawa 

144.  ^—3  taswd]  a  lengthened  form  of  ^3  tai  or  j_^  tas  "its." 

145.  Lit.   "a  thousand  even  to  a  thousand  years  is  its  likeness." 

147.  juft.^  tauhlda\  cf.   A  48,  note. 

148.  1^-tfJ    /h//o]    apparently    another    form    of    alwalja    "purification,"    the    /    or 
al  being  the  Arabic  article,  and  the  original  root  being  Ar.  3^93. 

151.     Lit.    "and    of   the    commanding    of   good    and    again   of    the    preventing   of 
evil." 

jSJ>A...j^\  amru...munkcm'\  Ar.    "command... a  thing  which  is  disgraceful," 


88 

If  thou  reachest  not  and  completest  not  indeed  all  of  them  thus;  thou  knowest 

that  thou  wilt  roll  into  the  fire. 
Some  will  pass  the  bridge  like  a  wind,  some  like  lightning,   without  doubt. 
155  Some  will  go  over  running,  some  going  slowly,  some  crawling. 

They  shall  enter   hell  (Jahannam)  and  shall   be   burned ;    as   for   all   of  them, 

there  shall  be  chains  of  fire  for  each. 
All  the  believers  shall  pass  over;   all  the  profligates  shall  fail  to  pass  over. 
The   verse    (of   the    Koran)   "They   shall    be    driven    who...,"   in    the   chapter 

Zumara,  is  a  reason  (to  give)  to  anyone. 
It  shall  be  said  to   them.    No   messengers   (of  God)   shall  come  to  you ;   they 

shall   say,   Alas !   they   shall   understand   that    there   is    no    contending   for 

anyone. 
160  It  will  be  said  to  them.  Fall    into  the  fire  and  remain  there  constantly,  there 

is  no  death  any  more  at  all  for  anyone. 
(The   verse   which   says)   "  Enter "   is   sufficient    for    thee,   if    there    be    anyone 

who  asks  a  reason. 
They   will   bite   their   fingers   (in   their)   remorse,   they   will    say,   Alas   for  us ; 

to-day  they  have  nothing. 
And   the   verse  which   says   "And   on  the  day  when  the  evil-doer  shall   bite," 

is  sufficient  for  thee,  if  there  be  anyone  who  asks  a  reason. 
They   shall    be    brought   to    Laza,    to    Sakar    and    Hutama,   they   shall    enter 

Sair  without  doubt. 
165  They  shall   be   brought  to  Jahim,  Hawiya   and   Falaka,   they   shall   meet  with 

pain,  they  shall  roll  (in  the  fire). 
And  when  they  reach  Hawiya,  a  division   shall   take    place  there ;    they  shall 

be  brought  to  different  places  in  Avhich  to  remain. 
Those   who   are   proud   shall    be   brought   to   their   place ;   in    Bulisa,  I   under- 
stand, shall  they  remain. 
And   the   whisperers    of    evil   shall   be   brought   to   an   evil-smelling   place ;    in 

Jifi,  I  understand,  shall  they  remain. 

154.     ^j)o^  shutsirwa]  "to  pass  away,"  a  more  common  form  is  \^>^  shudi. 

158.  The     quotation    is    from     Surah     xxxix.     71     and    73,     "They     who    have 
disbelieved   will   be   driven   into   hell   in   bands,...  and    those   who   have    feared   their - 
Lord  shall  be  driven  into  paradise  in  bands." 

j^j  zumra]  should  be  Ij-oj  zumara.     "  Bands "  is  used  as  the  title  of  the  Surah. 

159.  j-ai»w...i,.2»l  ashc.su  je\  for  ^JL»...j^l  ache...suche, 

Uule  maaika]  the  prefix  ma  or  mai  is  uniformly  used  in  Hausa  to  denote 
the  noun  agent,  but  in  this  one  case  the  meaning  is  passive,  i.e.  "one  sent," 
not    "  sender." 

161.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  xxxix.  72,  "It  shall  be  said,  Enter  the 
gates  of  hell,  abiding  therein  for  ever." 


89 

F         Kadan  ba  ka  zo  da  tsan  fix  kari  su  haka  ka  san  kai  dai  wuta  ka  ka  gangarawa 

Sirati  wonsu  kan  shutsirwa  iska  wodansu  ya  wolkia  kunia  babu  wawa 

155  Wodansu  kamar  giidu  wosu   sanu  sanu  wodansu  da  jan  jiki  su  ka  ketariwa 

Jahannama  zasu  tiisga  kuma  akona  fa  su  duka  sasavi  na  wuta  ga  kowa 

Jama'ar  muminai  su  ka  ketariwa  jama'ar  fasikai  ba  ketariwa 

Fa  aiar  shanta  wasika  ellazina  ga  suratu  zumra  dalili  shi  ga  kowa 

Ashe  fa  da  su  maaika  ba  su  isuku  su  je  wai  sun  ji  babu  musuwa  ga  kowa 

160  Ashe  fti  da  su  ku  fada  wuta  ku  duma  tutur  kuma  babu  mutua  du  ga  kowa 

Fa  aiar  shana  adkhulu  ta  ishika  dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

Suna  kuma  jiza  yasosi  na  dama  suna  she  laitana  yo  ba  su  kowa 

Wa  yoma  ya'allu  at-tsalimu  ta  ishika  dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

Akaisu  ga  latsa  har  sakara  da  hutama  su  tusga  har  sa'ira  babu  wawa 

165  Akaisu  jahima  hawia  har  ga  felaku  su  iski  azaba  shan  su  ka  gangarawa 

Fa  tunda  ga  hawiya  shan  akarabasu  akaisu  gari  gari  kuma  tabettawa 

Akai  kuma  masugirman  kai  garinsu  ga  bulisa  na  ji  shan  su  ka  tabettawa 

Fa  masurada  akaisu  gari  na  mushi  ga  jifia  na  ji  shan  su  ka  tabettawa 


162.     Jua.  Jisa]  for  JlJ  chiza  or  chizo  "bite." 

luiJ  laitana]  Ar.   "would  that  we  had...!" 

1G3.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  xxv.  29,  "And  on  the  day  when  the  evil-doer 
shall  bite  his  hands  saying,  O,  would  that  I  had  chosen  to  follow  with  the  apostle." 

164.  According  to  Mohammedan  tradition  the  seven  divisions  in  hell  will  be 
assigned  as  follows:  the  first,  Jahannam,  to  wicked  Mohanunedans ;  the  second, 
Laza,  to  the  Jews;  the  third,  al-Hutama,  to  the  Christians;  the  fourtli,  as-Sa'ir, 
to  the  Sabians;  the  fifth,  Sakar,  to  the  Magians ;  the  sixth,  al-Jahim,  to  idolaters; 
the  seventh,  the  worst  of  all,  al-Hawiya,  to  hypocrites.  Falaka,  Ime  ^  165,  is 
apparently  another  name  for  Hawiya ;  it  is  perhaps  connected  with  Ar.  JUi  /alak 
"  a  mountain-cleft." 

166.      I  At.    "they  shall  be  brought,  a  place,  a  place,   remaining." 

12 


H.  H. 


90 

F         And  those  who   stole    the  tithes  shall    be   brought   to  their  place  in  Tukuwia, 

there,  I  understand,  shall  they  remain. 
170  A  hot   iron   shall  be  ever  (prepared)  for  them,  and  (they  shall  have)  pain ;   it 

shall  be  said  to  them  that  they  all  have  no  helper. 
And  the  verse  which  says   "Those  who  hoard   up  treasures,"   is  sufficient   and 

a  true  reason. 
And   it   says   again,   "  Let   them    not   thus   think,"    this   verse   is   a   reason    (to 

give)  to  anyone. 
And  all  liars  shall  be  taken  to  their  place,  in  Mansia,  I  understand,  shall  they 

continue. 
Those  who  refused    to   wash   shall  be  carried  to  their  place  in  Zamhari,  where 

cold  shall  destroy  them. 
175  It   will   break    their   bones,   it   will   cut    all    their    limbs,   it   will    cut    all    the 

veins  of  the  heathen. 
They   shall   cry   aloud,   an   angel   shall   afflict   them,  and  (they  shall  have)  fire 

and  great  cold,  without  doubt. 
(Such  an  one)  will  say,  O   angel,   they   will   pray  for  death,  (that)  they  (may) 

obtain  deliverance  from  the  fire  and  may  obtain  respite. 
The    verse    which   says   "  And    they   cried   out,"   is   sufficient   for  you,   if    there 

be  anyone  who  asks  a  reason. 
And   the    verse   which   says   "  continue "   and   "  abide "   is   a   reason,  in   the  fire 

shall  they  remain. 
180  And  the  profligates  shall  be   taken   to   (their)   evil   place,   in   the  back  part  of 

the  fire  shall  they  continue. 
They  shall  be   brought    to  Yalamlama,   they   shall   see   pain,   and  to  Habhaba, 

where  they  shall  continue. 
They   shall   be    brought   to   Waila,   it   is    a    bank   of    fire,   in   Wadilgayi   shall 

they  continue. 
They   shall   go   to   Lakabira,   there   shall   they  fall,   scorpions  shall   meet   them 

there. 
And  there  will  be  dogs  to  bark  in  the  fire,  they  will  bark  and  tear  and  cry. 

171.  For  quotation  here  referred  to  cf.  line  19,  note. 

172.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  iii.  172,  "Let  not  those  who  have  dis- 
believed think  that  the  delay  which  we  have  granted  them  is  a  gain  to  them- 
selves." 

174.      Ijl...^^.^  mai/asaiva]  lit.   "splitting  open." 

176.  j^j  zamhari]  according  to  the  commentators  on  Surah  xxxix.  72  the 
only  alleviation  which  will  be  granted  to  those  in  hell  will  be  that  they  will  be 
taken  out  of  the  fire  to  drink  boiling  water  and  to  suffer  zamhari,  i.e.  extreme  cold. 

178.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  xxxviii.  2,  "How  many  generations  have  we 
destroyed  before  them,  then  they  cried  out  and  it  was  no  time  of  escape." 


91 


F         Akai  kuina  luasuchin  zaka  garinsu 
170  Ana  masu  lalas  har  abbada  azaba 
Fa  aiar  wallazina  yaknizuna 
Wa  aila  kuina  kaza  la  yahsibanna 
Akai  kuma  masukaria  da  garinsu 
Akai  kuma  masuki  lullo  garinsu 


ga  tukuwia  na  ji  shan  kuma  tabettawa 
ashc  masu  ba  su  duk  maitaimakawa 
fa  ta  issa  kua  dalili  babu  wawa 
fa  aiar  nan  dalili  shi  ga  kowa 
fa  mansia  na  ji  su  ka  tabettawa 
ga  zam^iari  enda  sanyi  maifasawa 


175  Shi  karya  kasshi  shi  yenki  duk  gabobi      shi  yenki  duk  jiwoji  kafirawa 


Su  dora  kira  fa  malika  ya  batansu 
Shi  je  ya  malika  su  roki  mutua 
Fa  aiar  shan  fn  nada  ta  ishiku 
Fa  aiar  makithina  da  labithina 
180  Fa  masuzina  akaisu  garin  mugunya 
Akaisu  yalamlamu  su  gano  azaba 


fa  kuma  wuta  da  zamhari  babu  wawa 
su  sami  fita  wutar  ga  su  samu  afua 
dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 
dalili  nan  wuta  su  ka  tabettawa 
ga  ta  dabarun  wuta  su  ka  tabettawa 
fa  har  habhabu  shan  su  ka  tabettawa 


Akaisu  ga  wailu  wuta  zazan  wuta  je         ga  wadilgayi  shan  su  ka  tabettawa 


Su  tusga  lakabira  shan  su  fada 

Da  karnuka  chikin  wuta  masuhafshi 


kunamai  mai  ashan  fa  su  ki  ishiwa 
suna  hafshi  suna  yaga  da  tsawa 


179.  The    quotation  in  which    mdkithtna   occurs    is    from    Surah    xviii.   2,   "They 
shall  have  a  fair  reward,  wherein  they  shall  continue  for  ever." 

The  second  quotation,  in  which  Idhithma  occurs,  is  from  Surah  Ixxviii.   23,  "Hell 
shall  be the  home  of  transgressors  to  abide  therein  for  ever." 

180.  Cy^"**^    ^"    i^^   dabarun]    cf.    MS.,    which     is    very    indistinct;    dabamu    is 
probably  the  A.Y.  jj^  dabr  "back  of." 

182.  ^Ijlj    zamn]   explained  by  Abd-el-Kadr  as  equivalent  to  raji  "a  bank"   or 
"edge." 

183,  In  the  latter  half  of  the  line  the  second  mai  should  be  omitted. 
IS-t.      ULj  yaga]   "tear,"  usually  appli(>d  to  the  tearing  of  paper  or  cloth. 


92 

F  1^5  The  fire  too,  behold  it  rages  and  burns,  it  breaks  the  limbs  of  the  heathen. 

Fetters   and  leg-irons  of  fire  shall  be  placed  on  them ;    the  fire  shall  surround 

them,  and  (burn  them  with  a)  roar. 
They   (the   angels)   shall   beat   all   the    heathen,   they   will   cry  out,   help   shall 

be  refused. 
The   angels   will    lift    up   bellows,   they   will    increase   the   fire,   (the   men)   will 

cry   out. 
They   will   be   brought   up    upon    a    rock    to    drink    hot   water;    their   bowels 

will  be  poured  out. 
190  Serpents   also   shall    be   gathered    together    to   them,  and   will  fight    Avith   them 

and  pour  out  their  poison. 
They   shall   be   burnt   and   shall    be    brought    to    Sa'uda;    it    is    the    rock    of 

torment  for  the  heathen. 
And   the    heathen   shall   be   dragged    prostrate    to    the    edge ;    it   will   destroy 

the  heathen. 
It   (stretches)   for   a  thousand  years,  there   are  no  limits   to   it ;    (such  is)  the 

height  of  the  rock  Sa'uda,  in  very  truth. 
They    will    return    in    confusion    and    will    mount    up ;    and    from    thence    again 

will  the  heathen  cry  out. 
195  Alas,  thence  they  shall  roll  down  beneath  it ;   in  the  hot  fire  shall  they  roll. 
They   shall   be   brought   to    Laria    and    to    trees    of    fire,   and    putrid    matter 

shall  be  the  food  of  the  heathen. 
And   the   verse   which   says   "  He   shall  be   given   to  drink   putrid  water,"  is  a 

reason  to  give  if  there  be  anyone  who  asks. 
The   fire   shall   consume   them    till   it   eats    up    their    liver ;    their    lungs    also 

and  bowels  shall  be  poured  out. 
Fire    too    shall    come    out    of  their   eyes   and    mouth    and    nostrils ;    out    of   all 

of  them  shall  fire  come  abundantly. 
200  They    shall    be   brought    (and    made)   to    drink    poison    and    blood    and    defiled 

water  and  water    from  within    the    body ;    this    shall    be    the   drink    of  the 

heathen. 

187.    j^j^  tsirkay']  should  be  ^j^  dirka,  cf.   line  106. 

189.  0-*W«  maiamimi]  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  is  the  name  of  a  rock  in  hell. 

190.  The  M8.,  which  is  somewhat  indistinct,  should  read 

ji  /«?•]  is  a  Sokoto  usage  for  ^  fada  "tight." 

191.  \:j^\    ahona^    "burnt,"    or    we     may    read     1;>S»I     akora     "driven     away," 
cf.  MS. 

i^jto  sa'ud(t\  Ar.   "high,"  applied  to  the  rock  Maiaminu,  line  189,  note. 

192.  )^a...;£»l    15^  sluki  akanjaii]  h'om  jan  chiki  "to  crawl." 


93 


F  185  Wuta  kiui  gata  ta  yi  fushi  da  kona  tana  karya  gabobin  kafirawa 

Asa  masu  sasari  na  wuta  da  malwa  wuta  ta  kiwuyi«u  da  tsawutawa 

Suna  tsirkar  jama'a  alkafirawa  suna  kuka  anamanaa  gazawa 

Malaiku  su  tsaida  zugazuganta  su  fura  wuta  suna  kunia  tsavvutawa 

Akaisu  su  hawa  maiaminu  don  su  shawo  man  zafi  fa  hanji  na  zubuwa 


190  Machizai  kua  su  yiwo  gaia  garinsu 
Akonasu  akaisu  hau  sa'uda 
Fa  rubda  shiki  akanjan  kafirawa 


su  fiir  masu  su  dcffi  su  ka  bunguhiwa 
fa  dutsi  ni  ga  azaba  alkafirawa 
ga  kaifi  nan  shina  deffa  kafirawa 


Dubu  kua  shekarya  ba  su  kan  iyaka  tsawon  dutsin  sa'uda  babu  wawa 

Su  komo  marbika  du  zasu  taka  fa  kuma  dagashan  atsawuta  kafirawa 

195  Fa  kaito  su  gangara  shan  karkashisa  shikin  zafi  wuta  su  ka  gangarawa 

Akaisu  gari  lari'u  kaza  da  zakumu  da  gislln  abinshin  kafirawa 


Wa  yuthki  aiar  min  ma  sadidin 
Wuta  ta  chisu  har  ta  shini  hanta 
Wuta  kowa  na  fita  ga  ido  ga  baki 
200  Akaisu  su  sha  deffi  da  jini  da  boli 


dalili  kua  akan  maitanbaiawa 
kaza  fufu  da  hanji  na  zubuwa 
da  hanshi  duk  wuta  na  firfitowa 
ruan  hanji  abinshan  kafirawa 


194.  I5uj^  marbika]   possibly  from  Ar.   ^j  rahak  "to  be  confused." 

195.  i^jmA^ljA  karkashisa]  for  j_,««iJJL5  kalkashisa  "underneath  it." 

19G.  ji^^J  -akinmt]  is  probably  a  mistake  iov  ^^sj  zakkum;  az-zakknni  is  tlic 
name  of  a  tree  in  hell,  cf.   Koran,  Surah  xxxvii.   GO. 

^j_,JL«i  gislln]  Ar.   "putrid  matter  flowing  from  the  lost." 

197.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  xiv.  19;  for  ^^^ii;  //idhki  we  should  read 
ft„,_.  ynska  "he  shall  be  given  to  drink,"  "He  shall  be  given  to  drink  (jf  w;itci- 
wliich  consists  of  the  liquids  exuding  from  wounds." 

199.     S^^jS  Jlrfilon-a]  a  strengthened  form  oi /ifoira  "to  come  out." 


94 

F         And    the    brokers    who    have  made    unjust    profits    shall    have    garments    of  fire 

put  upon  them,  without  doubt. 
They  shall  have  trousers  of  fire   and   turbans  of  fire ;    fire  shall  devour  them, 

there  shall  they  continue. 
And    those    who   have  made  unjust  profits  shall  there  be  made  manifest ;    they 

shall  come  with  it  (i.e.  their  profit)  by  the  power  of  the  Almighty. 
The   verse   "And   he    that    defrauds,"   is    a    reason,   if    there    be   anyone   who 

asks  for  a  reason. 
205  And  those  who  regard  stealing  as  lawful  are  heathen ;  in  the  fire,  as  we  under- 
stand, shall  they  continue. 
And    the    children    of  the    fire,    all   of  them   shall  continue   in  pain ;    there  will 

be  no  coming  out,  they  shall  remain  for  ever  there. 
The   fire,   I   understand,   shall   change   them   so    that   they   shall   be   burnt   all 

over,  they  all  shall  become  like  charcoal,  without  doubt. 
The  Glorious  One   shall  renew  the  fire,  (and  they  shall  be  as  a)  new  creation ; 

the  fire  shall  destroy  all  the  heathen. 
And   the   verse  "As   often    as   they  are   roasted,"  is  indeed  the  reason,  if  there 

be  anyone  who  asks. 
210  They    shall    begin    to    cry    out    to    the    angels,    they    shall    repent,   (and    say). 

Bring  us  again  to  the  earth,  we  will  follow  the  way  of  the  Almighty. 
It    will    be    said    to    them,    Remain    in    the    pain ;    as    for    you,    indeed,    do    ye 

hear,  (God)  sent  the  prophets  (to  you). 
And  you  (said).  Who  hath  seen  this,  the  next  world,  and  hath  returned  ?  this 

was  the  saying  of  you  heathen. 
And  you  said.  There    will    be  no  resurrection  nor  pain ;    lament  for  yourselves, 

ye  heathen. 
All  the  believers  passing  over  the  bridge  shall  come  to  the  water  of  heaven, 

without  doubt. 
215  They    shall   congratulate    each     other    on    having   crossed    the    bridge    without 

fear  on  the  part  of  any. 
There   shall   be  put  on  them  beautiful  garments  of  wool,  and  beautiful  chains 

shall  they  hang  (upon  themselves). 


201.     ■J'^i    dalldlai]  Ar.    "brokers";    they  act    as    intermediaries    in   the   market 
and  receive  from  the  seller  5  p.c.  of  the  price  arranged. 
[jj^\,^  masuriba^  "  those  who  make  unlawful  profits." 
KjiwUd  mas2ikui-a]  ''those  who  keep  back  part  of  tlie  money  for  the  thing  sold.' 

204.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  iii.  155,  "It  is  not  for  any  prophet  to  defraud, 
and  whosoever  defrauds  shall  produce  liis  frauds  on  the  day  of  the  resurrection." 

205.  JJla>.wU   masuJudal]    "those    who    regard    as    lawful,"    cf.    Ar.    J^IL*.    halcU 
"lawful." 


95 


F         Fa  flalhilai  fa  niasuriba  da  kura 

Da  wandunan   wuta  fa  kaza  rawuna 
Fa  niasuriba  ashan  akabayennasu 
Fa  aiar  shan  wanian  yaglul  dalili 

205  Fa  masuhalal  ta  gululu  kafirai  ni 
Fa  yan  wuta  duk  su  duma  shikin  azaba 
Jahlmi  na  ji  ta  maishisu  kurmiis 
Fa  jalla  shi  maida  wuta  sabon  halita 
Fa  aiar  kullama  nadijat  hakika 

210  Su  dora  kira  fa  malaiki  su  fa  tuba 
Ashe  masu  kun  ku  duma  shikin  azaba 


Fa  ku  ku  she  wa  gano  shi  a  lakhira  nan 


Fa  ku  ku  she  babu  tashi  ba  azaba 
Jama'a  al-muminai  duka  kan  sirati 
215  Suna  barka  da  jiuna  tsitariwa 

Asa  masu  riguna  na  ado  da  muhifi 


asa  masu  riguna  wuta  babu  wawa 
wuta  na  shinsu  nan  su  ka  tabettawa 
su  zo  su  (]a  shi  da  iko  inaiiyawa 
dalili  kua  akan  maitanbaiawa 
chikin  wuta  niun  ji  shan  su  ka  tabettawa 
fa  babu  fita  ashan  su  ka  tabettawa 
su  juya  kamar  g()i  duk  babu  wawa 
wuta  na  karya  jama'u  alkafirawa 
dalili  kua  akan  maitanbaiawa 
akaimu  ga  dunia  mu  bi  maiiyawa 
fa  ai  ku  kun  ji  aiki  annabawa 
da  ya  komo  fadar  ku  fa  kafirawa 
ku  kuka  da  kanku  ya  alkafirawa 
su  kan  tusga  ta  kauchara  babu  wawa 
sirati  babu  shakka  ko  ga  kowa 
da  siliyoyi  ado  su  ka  ratayawa 


209.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  iv.  59,  "Behold  those  who  have  disbelieved 
in  our  signs,  we  will  burn  them  with  fire;  as  often  as  their  skins  are  roasted 
we  will  give  tlieni  new  skins." 

215.  1%J  harka]  usually  "to  thank"  or  "to  l)le.ss,"  cf.  0  30,  E  38,  here  means 
"to    congratulate." 

l^jJiJa  tdtarirvrt]  should  apparently  be  ^^y^  kitariwa,  cf.  MS.,  or  better  l^>:5 
kitariwa   "  crossing." 


96 

F         They  shall  put  on  garments  of  silk,  they  shall  rejoice  with  all  the  prophets. 

And   the   verse   "And   he   will   reward  them."  is  sufficient  for  you,  if  there  be 

anyone  who  asks  a  reason. 
They   shall    mount    thus   on   camels  and  horses;    there  shall  be  golden  saddles 

for  everyone. 
220  And   the   verse    "  We   shall   gather  together,"  is  sufficient  for  you,  if   there  be 

anyone  who  asks  a  reason. 
Mohammed,   the    messenger    of    God,   has   gone   before   them   into   heaven,   the 

place  of  continuance. 
And    heaven    shall    be    opened,    (a    place)    of    pleasure,    they,    together    with 

Ridwanu,   rejoice   all   of  them. 
They  will   say,    Enter   and    remain    where   pleasure   is,   the   abode   of  paradise, 

the  place  of  continuance. 
The   verse   "Therefore    enter   it,"  is  sufficient  for  you,  if  there  be  anyone  who 

asks  a  reason. • 
225  (Enter)   into   the   rooms   of  gold   and   of  silver ;    they   shall   put   on  also  arm- 
lets, and  that  without  doubt. 
The   verse   "And   they   shall   be   made   to  wear  armlets,"   is   sufficient  for  you, 

if  there  be  anyone  who  asks. 
So   too,    there    shall   be   rooms   of    ruby,   of  pearl,   and   of    emerald,   dost   thou 

hear  ?   in  the  place  of  continuance. 
They   shall  marry    Houris   who   grow   not   old ;    women   shall   be   an   object   of 

regard  to  all. 
And   their   faces  shall   be   brighter   than  fire,  there   shall   be  seventy  thousand 

women  for  each. 
230  They   shall   drink   wine   and   syrup   made   with    honey,   and   soup ;    there   shall 

be  cooked  food  for  all. 
And  Mohammed  shall    say,   All   ye   believers,   come,   that   ye   may   be   brought 

into  the  dwelling-place  of  the  Almighty. 


218.  The   quotation   is  from    Surah    Ixxvi.    12,    "He   will    reward   thein with 

paradise  and  silken  robes." 

For  ^^o^J^^  of  text  we   should  read^^lj^j. 

219.  ^\j^    suradi]    plural    of    yj^    surdi    "saddle,"    the     more    usual     form     is 
\^^if^    surduna. 

220.  Tlie    quotation    is    fi'om    Surah    xix.    88,     "On    the    day    when    we   gather 
together  the  pious  to  enter  the  presence  of  the  Compassionate  One." 

222.     j»^3*Jl  an'b^lts^]  for  ^i^\  anhudi  "opened." 

^l^-oj    rUlwami]    Ar.    "the    name    of    the    angel    who    stands    at    the    door    of 
heaven." 


97 

F         Su  sa  kuma  rigunansu  na  alharini  suna  inurna  da  jama'u  annabawa 

Fa  aiar  wajazahuiii  ta  ishiku  dalili  ko  akan  raaitanbaiawa 

Su  hau  kuma  rakuma  haka  kua  dawaki  suradi  kua  na  zinaria  ga  kowa 

220  Fa  aiar  shan  wa  nahshuru  ta  ishiku  dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

Muhammadu  er-rasulu  shina  gabbansu  zua  aljenna  dakin  tabettawa 

Fa  anbutsi  fa  aljenna  ta  nima  su  ridwanu  suna  murna  da  kowa 

Su  she  ku  shigga  ku  tabetta  enda  nima  giddan  aljennat  dakin  tabettawa 

Fa  aiar  fadkhuluha  ta  ishiku  dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

225  Ga  dakin  kua  na  zinaria  azurfa  su  sa  kuma  kundeggi  kuma  babu  wawa 

"Wa  hullu  ai  asawira  ta  ishiku  dalili  ko  akan  maitanbaiawa 

Kaza  kuma  dakunan  yakutu  murjan  zumurrud  ka  ji  dakin  tabettawa 

Su  amri  fa  huru'aini  da  babu  tsofa  fa  matayi  abin  baki  ga  kowa 

Fa  fuskokinsu  sun  fi  wuta  da  haski  dubu  sabain  matayi  ga  kowa 

230  Su  sha  gia  du  da  madya  ga  zuma  nan  ruan  nama  abin  soiya  ga  kowa 

Muhammadu    kuma   shi  je  jama'a   al-  ku  zo  en  kaiku  fa  dar  maiiyawa 
musulmi 


223.  ^*--  su  she]  "they  will  say,"  the  true  reading  is  ^jLj  ya  she  "he 
will    say." 

224.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  xxxix.  73,  "And  the  guardian  thereof  shall 
say  to  them,  Peace  be  upon  you,  ye  are  well  pleasing,  therefore  enter  it  to  abide 
for   ever." 

226.  The  quotation  is  from  Surah  Ixxvi.  21,  "They  shall  be  made  to  wear 
armlets  of  silver."     ^_^l  ai  indeed  does  not  form  part  of  the  quotation. 

227.  O^Sb  yakut]  Ar.   "  ruby,  sapphire,"  or  any  precious  stone. 
^j^j  ziimurrtid]  Ar.   "emerald." 

228.  ^ij  ^\  abin  haU]  lit.  "a  thing  regarded,"  cf.  Ar.  ^  hnhd  "to 
regard"  or  "protect." 

231.     ji  dar']  for  Ar.  j1>  ddr  "dwelling-place,"  so  line  237. 

R.  H.  1^ 


98 

There   shall   bo   placed   on    them   garments  with  the   beauty   of  heaven,  (each) 

different ;   there  shall  be  joy  and  gladness  for  all. 
Chains   shall   be   bound   on  their  right  and  left  (hands),  and  silken  sword-belts 

shall  be  bound  on  each. 
They   shall    mount    and    gallop,    clapping    their    hands    together;    they    shall 

assemble  to  the  house  of  the  messenger  (of  God),  who  excels  all. 
235  The  gate  of  our  prophet,  the  son  of  Amina,  shall  be  thronged,  there  shall  be 

rejoicing  with  all  the  prophets. 
Angels  and  messengers  (shall   be    there) ;   the  gate  of  Mohammed,  who  excels 

all,  shall  be  thronged. 
After   waiting    for    his   coming    out,    they   rise    up   and    mount    and    go    to    the 

dwelling-place  of  the  Almighty. 
Mohammed,   son  of  Amina,  who    excels  all,  prepares  his  garments,  (which  are 

an)  object  of  adornment. 
He  mounts  again  upon    his   (horse)   Buraka;   they   follow   him,  they  go  as  an 

escort  in  front,  in  very  truth. 
240  They  come  to  the  place  of  Hasan ;   they  praise  Mohammed,  who  excels  all. 
There  shall  be  a  blowing  of  the  heavenly  flute,  they  shall  go  to  the  dwelling- 
place  of  the  Almighty. 
Abubekr   shall   be    at    the    right    hand    of    Mohammed,    Omaru    and    Othman 

shall  rejoice  with  everyone. 
So    too    Ali,    Telha,    Zobeir,    Saad    and    Said    shall    be    on    his    right    hand, 

without  doubt. 
So   too   the   son   of  Awf   and   Amiru    shall    be    there,   and    all    the    friends   of 

Mohammed,  and  all  the  prophets. 
245  And   they   all   shall    surround   the   son   of  Amina,    they    shall    rejoice   and   go 

to  (the  place  of)  the  Almighty. 
They   shall   appear   in    the   realm  of  the  glorious  King,  our  desire  will  obtain 

fulfilment. 
Heaven   and   pleasure   shall   be   forgotten,   the    sight    of    God    surpasses   them 

entirely. 

232.  Iaw  shiga\  lit.  a  triangular  piece  of  cloth  inserted  at  the  bottom  of  a 
robe,  so  as  to  make  the  bottom  broader  than  the  top,  here  apparently  used  for 
garments  generally. 

233.  I^J^>.»ft.  hamilu]  Ar.  «11;;.»^.  hamilat  "a  sword  belt,"  usually  made  of  silk. 

239.  ^^\j->  buraka]  for  ^^\jj  hurdk,  the  name  of  the  horse  on  which  Mohammed 
ascended  to  heaven. 

240.  jjl-xft.  hasa7iu\  according  to  Abd-el-Kadr  this  means  "the  place  of  Hasan." 
He  was  the  son  of  Ali  and  noted  for  his  great  patience.  The  more  correct  form 
would  be  ^^[>M.atoJI  al-hasanu. 

241.  C-v^l  algaito]  a  wind  instrument  somewhat  similar  to  a  bag-pipe. 


99 


^  Adora  shiga  adon  aljenna  bamban  anafaraa  anamurna  da  kowa 

Adamri  siliyu  kuma  dama  hauni  haniilu  duk  ana  kuma  ratayawa 

Adora  suka  da  ban  hanu  da  jiuna  ataru  giddan  rasulu  da  ya  fi  kowa 

^35  Fa    anshika    kofayan    annabinmu    dan  anamurna  da  jama'u  annabawa 
amina 


Malaiku  kaza  fa  da  mursalina 
Ana  fa  jiran  fitowa  nasa  atashi 
Shiga  sirin  shiga  kayan  adonsa 


fa  anshika  kofara  ahmadu  ya  fi  kowa 
ahau  kuma  zatsa  fa  dar  maiiyawa 
muhammad  tsan  aminatu  ya  ti  kuwa 


►Shi  hau  kuma  kan  buraka  tas  abishi         su  sa'danu  suna  gabba  babu  wawa 


240  Su  hasanu  suna  kuma  yin  kirari 
Ana  kuma  busa  algaiton  sarwata 
Abubekri  shina  damshi  muhammad 
Kaza  ai  aliyu  telhata  har  zubairu 
Kaza  tsan  oufu  amiru  ga  shi  nana 

245  Fa  duk  ankiwoyi  kowa  dan  amina 
Abayenna  enda  zatin  jalla  sarki 
Amanta  kua  da  aljenna  da  nima 


muhammadu  er-rasuhi  da  ya  fi  kowa 
amika  zua  ga  fa  dar  maiiyawa 
oniaru  othman  suna  murua  da  kowa 
da  sa'du  sa'idu  dama  fa  babu  wawa 
sahabani  duk  da  jama'u  annabawa 
anamurna  fa  zatsa  ga  maiiyawa 
dada  guri  namu  nan  shi  ka  kua  shikawa 
gani  aUahu  ba  shi  abin  gamawa 


U^j-;  mrwata]  probably  intended  for  13^.«--  saimvata  "  heavens,"  Ar.  OI^.»-j 
samatvat. 

242.    j-o*  oinartt]  Omar,  a  supporter  of  Mohainmed,  afterwards  Khalif. 

Mohammed's  six  principal  adherents  during  the  first  three  years  were  Ali  sou 
of  Abu  Taleb,  Abu  Eekr  son  of  Abi  Kohafa,  Otlnnan  son  of  Alfan,  Abdelralnnan 
son  of  Awf  (cf.  text),  Saad  son  of  Abi  Wakkas,  Zobeir  son  of  Awwara,  and  Telha 
son  of  Obeidallah. 

246.  1^3  dada']  a  Sokoto  usage  for  ^^  kuma  "again."  Perhaps  this  is  the 
sense  in  which  it  is  used  in  C  21. 

247.  tjWc  O^t  ahin  gammca']   lit.    "a  thing  to  come  up  to  or  to  equal." 


100 

F         And   the    verse   "Their  faces..."  is  sufficient  for  you,  if  there  be  anyone  who 

asks  a  reason. 
They  shall   return   again   to   heaven  and  remain  thus  for  ever;    there  shall  be 

no  death  for  any. 
250  O    God,    place    us    amongst    the    people    of    Mohammed,    our    prophet,    who 

excels   all. 
That    I    may    go    forth    from    Sokoto    is    my    desire,    to     Medina,     where    is 

Mohammed,   who   excels   all. 
In   the   house   of    the    son    of    Bazo   would    I   stay ;    and    indeed    I    fear   my 

parents  in  very  truth. 
And   it   is   because   I   fear    my   parents    that    I    do    not    go    to    the    city   of 

Mohammed,  who  excels  all. 
And   I   myself,   do   ye    hear,    make   this   song   of   instruction ;    my   own   life   is 

indeed  my  friend. 
255  Ye   men    of  Kano,   I   make   this   song   of    instruction   in    the    twelve    hundred 

and  sixtieth  year  of  the  Hegira. 
I   have   finished   this   song   and  render  thanks  to  God,  and   greetings   be  with 

Mohammed,  who  excels  all. 

With   the  praise  of  God  (is  this  song)  completed,  and  good  success  and  praise 
be  to  God,  the  Lord  of  the  worlds. 


248.    ^o^^*^3    wwjM/M6»i]    this    form    does   not   occur    in    the    Koran.     "We    should 

perhaps    read    «3a.j    ivujuhun    "faces";    the    quotation    would    then    be    from    Surah 
Ixxv.   22,   "On  that  day  shall  faces  beam  with  light  outlooking  towards  their  Lord." 

250.    jifrLoA.  jama^ar^  for  ^fo^  jama^u,  cf.  line  244. 

25 L     i.e.  the  tomb  of  Mohammed,  which  is  at  Medina. 

252.  Bazo  was  a  famous  Mallam  who  lived  in  Kano. 

253.  The   argument   apparently    is    that    respect   for    his    parents,     and    his    un- 
willingness to  desert  them,  is  the  reason  for  liis  failure  to  go  on  the  pilgrimage. 


101 


F         Fa  aiar  shan  wujuhum  ta  ishiku 
Akomo  kuma  ga  aljenna  adunia 


(laJili   ko  akaii   inaitanbaiawa 

tutur  haka  babu  iiiutua  kua  ga  kowa 


250  Fa  ya  aUahu  ka  samu  chikin  jama'ar  muhanunadu  auiiabiinim  da  ya  ti  kowa 

Da  na  fita  sokoto  kua  ni  nutfina  madinatu  enda  ahniada  ya  fi  kowa 

Giddan  kua  dan  bazo  anasoka  ni  kua  da  kua  soron  iyayi  babu  wawa 

Fa  ba  domin  ina  tsoron  iyayi  fa  da  na  je  ga  ahniada  ya  fi  kowa 

Fa  raina  kun  ji  na  yiwa  wonga  waatsi  abokina  fa  raina  babu  wawa 

255  Kanawa  ia  na  yi  waka  nana  waatsi  nurayishu  ramzu  hijra  babu  wawa 

Fa  na  gama  waka  na  godia  allah  sakitu  ya  duma  ga  ahniada  ya  fi  kowa 


Tammat  bihamd  allahi  wa  husn  'auniljii  wa-1-hamd  li-Hahi  rabb  al-'alaniina 


254.  The  meaning  of  the  latter  half  of  this  line  is  uncertain,  perhaps  it 
should  be  "I  indeed,   myself,  O  my  friend." 

255.  tAjj-'  rmrayishii]  the  consonants  of  this  word  make  up  the  number  1260: 
j  =  50,  J  =  200,  J  =  10,  tH  =  1000.  The  1260tli  year  of  the  Hegira  would  be 
A.D.    1843. 

This  would  represent  the  date  of  its  reduction  to  wi-iting  by  Abdallah,  cf. 
introduction   to    F. 

Lej  mmzu']  an  Arabic  word  (ramaz)  sometimes  used  to  denote  unity. 


HISTOEY   OF    ZABIA. 

(J  I  In   the   name   of  God,   the    Compassionate,   the    Merciful,  and   of  Him   do 

Ave  ask  help. 

The  book  of  the  history  of  the  kings  of  Zaria  from  Mallam  Musa,  a 
Beriberi,  until  the  time  of  Othman,  we  are  about  to  give  you. 

The  history  (we  give)  by  the  help  of  God.  Mallam  Musa,  then,  obtained 
the  kingdom  of  Zaria;  he  came  and  made  war  against  the  people  of  Zaria, 
he  drove  them  away,  they  set  forth,  they  went,  they  came  to  Mangi,  they 
remained  (there).  He  prepared  to  start,  he  followed  them  as  far  as  Mangi,  and 
when  they  heard  of  his  movements,  they  rose  up,  they  went  to  the  land  of 
Guri ;  they  made  a  city  there,  it  was  called  Habuja,  they  settled  down  in  it ; 
G  2  after  this  he  rose  up  ||  he  went  to  the  south  to  a  certain  land  called  the 
land  of  Umiiaisha,  he  fought  with  its  people ;  he  destroyed  them,  he  burnt 
the  town,  he  came  to  the  town  of  Zozo  with  thirteen  hundred  slaves ;  he 
came  with  (many)  horses,  he  rose  up,  he  went  to  war  with  a  certain  country 
called  Kugama ;  (the  people  of  that  country)  caused  him  loss ;  there  was  slain 
Kakumi  a  certain  warrior  whom  he  loved,  he  lamented,  he  rose  up  and 
returned  to  Zaria,  he  made  preparations,  he  went  to  their  town,  he  conquered 
them,  he  returned  and  remained  in  Zaria,  he  made  war  eight  times,  he 
remained  at  home  nine  years,  he  died  in  Zaria.  After  the  death  of  Mallam 
Musa,  the  Beriberi,  Yamusa  a  native  of  Mali  obtained  the  kingdom  of  Zaria; 
he  made  war  once,  he  did  not  obtain  the  victory,  he  lived  three  years  in 
the   kingdom   of    Zaria,   he   died.      After    Yamusa,   Abdalkarimi    obtained    the 

The  following  history  of  Zaria  is  an  extract  from  a  much  longer  history 
written  in  Arabic.  It  was  translated  into  Hausa  at  my  request  by  a  Mallam  in 
Zaria.  The  history  covers  the  period  from  the  deposition  of  the  Hausa  kings  and 
the  establishment  of  the  Fulahs  in  their  place  down  to  the  present  time.  From 
the  time  of  Musa,  the  first  of  the  Fulah  dynasty,  twelve  kings  in  all  have 
reigned  in  Zaria.  The  state  of  Zaria  includes  all  the  country  lying  to  the  south 
of  the  town  as  far  as  the  river  Binue.  At  the  time  of  the  Fulah  usurpation 
of  the  kingdom  a  large  number  of  the  pagan  Hausas  retreated  towards  the 
mountainous  districts  south  of  the  town,  where  they  succeeded  in  maintaining  their 
independence.  The  town  of  Zaria  contains  a  population  of  about  thirty  thousand 
and  is  itself  tributary  to  Sokoto. 

G  1.     jj-JtJUJ   nasta^inu]  "we  ask  for  help,"  X.  form  of  Ar.  ^J^  'an. 


HISTOEY   OF    ZARIA. 

Gr  I  Bismi  allahi  errahmdni  errahimi  wa  bihi  nasta'inu 

Litflfi  na  labari  sarakuna  zariar  tlagga  nialamn  musai  babarbari  har  ya  zua 
zamani  othmanu  shi  zamu  baku  labari  da  iko  allah  amma  makxni  musai  ya  chi 
sarota  zaria  da  ya  zo  ya  yi  yaki  da  nmtanen  zaria  ya  koresu  suka  fita  snka 
taffi  suka  je  mangi  suka  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  bisu  har  mangi  da  ka  ji 
mutsinshi  suka    tashi    suka    taffi    kasa   guri    su    kan    gari   anache  mashi  habuja 

G  2  suka  zamna  chiki  baya  wonan  ya  tashi  |  ya  taffi  kudu  ga  vvani  kasa  anakiran 
kasa  umiiaisha  ya  yi  fiitsa  da  su  ya  halakasu  ya  kona  gari  ya  zo  gari  na  zozo 
da  bayi  dubu  da  tsari  uku  ya  zo  da  dawaki  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  wani 
kasa  sunanshi  kugama  su  kai  mashi  berna  anan  akakasshi  kakumi  wani  maiyaki 
da  ya  ki  sonshi  ya  yi  kuka  ya  tashi  ya  komo  zaria  ya  saki  shiri  ya  taffi 
garisu  ya  chisu  ya  komo  ya  zamna  chikin  zaria  ya  yaki  tokkos  ya  zamna  abin- 
shi  shekara  shi  tara  ya  mutu  chikin  zaria  bayan  mutua  malam  musa  babarbari 
yamusa  bamali  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  ya  yi  yaki  so  tsaia  bai  yi  nasara  ba  ya 
shekara   uku    chiki   sarota    zaria   ya    mutu    baya   yamusa   abd-al-karimi    ya    chi 


^^jjj^j  babarbari]  usually  pronounced  Beriberi,  a  name  applied  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Bornu.  The  Fulahs  who  conquered  Zaria  had  long  been  resident  in  Bornu  near 
Lake  Chad,  and  are  distinct  from  the  Fulahs  of  Sokoto. 

yjijjo^  mutsinshi]  "his  movement."  In  the  province  of  Zaria  ^  shi  is  frequently 
used  as  a  suffix  instead  of  ^  sa   "his." 

G   2.     Ij3i  ?o~o]  another  name  for  Zaria,  it  is  also  sometimes  called  Zegzeg. 

tJiJj\  abi7ishi]  lit.  "  his  affair,"  here  equivalent  to  "  by  him.self."  «iUjl  abirika 
is  used  similarly. 

^A»oJ  bamali]  "  native  of  Mali."  Mali  is  the  name  of  a  town  near  Tloriii  in 
the  Yoruba  country. 


104 

G  3  kingdom  of  Zaria,  ]|  he  (continued)  nine  years,  he  rose  up,  he  went  to  Chori, 
he  made  war  with  the  people,  he  conquered  them,  he  prepared  to  start,  he 
went  to  war  with  Jaba,  he  conquered  its  people ;  the  king  of  Jaba  was 
captured,  he  was  killed  there,  he  returned  to  Zaria,  he  remained  two  years, 
after  this  he  prepared  to  set  out,  he  went  to  war  with  Gwari,  he  conquered 
it,  he  returned,  he  remained  nine  years,  he  died.  After  the  death  of  Abdal- 
karimi,  Mohamma  Chani,  a  Beriberi,  obtained  the  kingdom  of  Zaria;  he  rose 
up,  he  went  to  war  with  Gitata  in  the  west,  he  did  not  conquer  its  people, 
he  returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start,  he  returned  to  it  but  did  not 
conquer  its  people,  he  returned,  he  remained  in  Zaria,  he  went  against 
Gitata  twelve  times,  then  he  called  upon  God,  the  Lord,  then  he  conquered 
its    people.      After    fighting    against    and    capturing    Gitata    he    returned,    he 

G  4  started  again,  he  went  ||  northwards  to  Sokoto,  he  did  not  like  to  fight,  he 
went  away.  In  this  war  was  killed  a  great  man  who  was  called  the  Madaki, 
he  lamented  much,  he  returned  thence  to  Zaria,  he  continued  in  his  kingdom 
nine  years ;  the  wars  (that  he  waged  were)  four.  After  his  death  Sidi  Ba-Mali 
obtained  the  kingdom  of  Zaria;  after  he  had  obtained  it  he  said.  Except 
with  oil  no  one  shall  enter  with  anything  tied  up  into  the  town  of  Zaria, 
on  pain  of  being  killed ;  thus  did  he  reign,  killing  very  many  men,  he  made 
war  twice,  he  rose  up  and  went  to  Sokoto,  he  was  driven  out  from  his 
kingdom.  After  his  expulsion  Sidi  Hamada  obtained  the  kingdom  of  Zaria, 
his  days  were  fifty-three,  he  died,  he  made  no  war ;  in  his  reign  there 
was  security  of  land  for  all  men,  you  might  travel  (in  safety),  alone,  to  the 
East,  West,  South,  and  North,  nothing  would  happen  to  you.  After  the 
reign   of    Hamada,   Abdalsalami   made   himself    king   of  Zaria;    he   moreover  || 

G  5  went  to  war  with  Kauru,  he  was  shot  by  an  arrow,  he  died,  he  returned 
not,  (he  reigned)  nine  months.  After  king  Abdalsalami  Abdu  made  himself 
king  of  Zaria,  he  lived  fourteen  years  in  his  kingdom ;  at  the  beginning 
of  his  reign  he  rose  up,  he  went  to  war  with  Gunu,  he  did  not  conquer 
its  people,  he  returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start,  he  went  forth 
to  war  with  the  family  of  Diko,  a  great  man  amongst  the  heathen,  he 
conquered  him ;  Diko  was  captured,  he  went  with  him  in  front  of  him,  he 
(Diko)    was   killed ;    after   this  war  he  rose  up   and  went  to  the  gate  of  Kafti, 

G  3.  \^j^  gwari]  usually  called  Birnin-Gwari,  a  large  town  about  fifty  miles 
west  of  Zaria,   now  within  the  territory  of  the  king  of  Kwontagora. 

l3Ui  gitata\  Gitata,  which  repelled  the  attack  of  the  king  of  Zaria  twelve 
times,  is  about  100  miles  south-west  of  Zaria.  It  is  situated  on  a  very  steep 
rocky  incline,  and  owing  to  the  strength  of  its  position  is  still  semi-independent. 
For  description  of  this  district  cf.  Hausaland,  p.  66. 

G  4.     ^JiSiSsS  akakach%\  for  y_pS£s>\  akakashi  "was  killed." 

^^I^U    inadaki\   "chamberlain,"  a  title   applied    to    one  of   the    chief   officials  in 


lOo 

G  3  sarota  zaria  ||  shekaranshi  tara  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  chori  ya  yi  yaki  da  su  ya  chisu 
ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  ajaba  ya  chisu  akakama  sarki  jaba  akayenkasshi 
dagana  ya  komo  zaria  ya  zamna  shikara  bin  bayasa  ya  saki  fita  ya  taffi  yaki 
agwai'i  ya  chisa  ya  komo  ya  zamna  shekara  shi  tara  ya  mutu  baya  mutua 
abd-al-karimi  mahamma  chani  babarbari  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  ya  tashi  ya  taffi 
yaki  agitata  ayamma  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  koma 
bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya  zamna  zaria  azuanshi  goma  sha  biu  agitata  saanan 
ya  roki  ubangiji  allah  ya  chisu  saanan  baya  yaki  gitata  da  ya  chisu    ya    kuma 

Gr  4  tashi  ya  taffi  ariwa  asakoto  bai  son  anayaki  ba  ya  taffi  anan  chiki  yaki 
akakachi  da  shi  baba  anache  mashi  madaki  ya  yi  kuka  maiyawa  dagana  ya 
komo  zaria  ya  zamna  chiki  sarotashi  shekarashi  tara  yakinshi  fudu  baya 
mutuashi  sidi  bamali  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  da  ya  chi  ya  che  banda  da  mai  ba 
ashiggo  da  komi  atsamri  abirni  zaria  sai  shi  ya  kasshi  hakanan  ya  yi  zamanishi 
sai  shi  ta  yenka  mutane  yaki  da  ya  yi  so  biu  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  sakoto  akafita 
da  shi  achiki  sarotashi  baya  fito  sidi  hamada  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  kwananshi 
khamsin  da  uku  chiki  sarota  ya  mutu  ba  yi  yaki  ba  amutanen  duka  achiki 
zamanishi  da  kasa  amana  ni  sai  ka  yi  taffia  kai  tsaia  gabbas  da  yamma  da 
kudu  da  ariwa  ba  abinda  zai  sameka  baya   sarota   hamada   abd-al-salaiui    ya    yi 

(J  5  sarki  zaria  shi  kua  jj  ya  taffi  yaki  akoro  akahalbeshi  da  kibia  ya  mutu  bai 
komo  ba  watashi  tara  baya  sarki  abd-al-salami  abdu  ya  yi  sarki  zaria  yai 
shekara  goma  sha  fudu  achikin  sarota  far  kua  sarotashi  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki 
agunu  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  giddan  diko 
wani  babba  kafiri  ya  chishi  akakamu  diko  akazua  da  shi  gabbanshi  akayen- 
kashi   baya   wanan   yaki   ya   tashi   ya    taffi    kofan    kaffi   ya  yi   yaki  da  kaffi  ya 


several    of   the    Hauisa   States.     The  order  of  precedence  at   Zaria   is   sariki,  madaki, 

galladima,  sarikiu  makira,  etc. 

jUj  banda\  more  commonly   written  jt^  banida   "besides." 

bCuj  j-w  shi  ta  yenka]  apparently  a  mistake  for  l£w  ^it  shi  ya  yunka. 

^U<  atndiia]  Ar.  amdn  "security."     For  other  meaning  of  amdna  of.   E  15,   25. 

G  5.     ^^yt£s    kaffi]    Kaffi,    a    town    of   about   20,000    inhabitants,    1(30  miles  south 
of  Zaria,  to  which  it  is  now  tributary. 

K.  H.  '-i 


106 

he  made  war  with  Kaffi,  he  returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start  again, 
he  went  to  Warji  to  make  war  with  it,  together  with  Abdallahi,  the  king 
of  Kano,  they  conquered  its  people ;  after  this  war  he  made  four  wars,  he 
(continued)  fourteen  years  in  his  kingdom,  he  was  then  driven  out.  After 
the   expulsion  of  the  king  Abdu,  Abubekr  obtained  the  kingdom  of  Zaria,  he 

G  6  rose  up  and  went  to  war  with  Guddo,  jj  he  conquei-ed  its  people,  his  time  was 
two  years  and  five  months,  and  he  died.  After  the  death  of  Abubekr,  Abdu 
returned  to  the  kingdom,  his  time  was  five  years  and  five  months,  he  was 
then  expelled  (again);  after  the  departure  of  Abdu,  Sanbo  obtained  the 
kingdom  of  Zaria,  he  rose  up  and  went  to  war  with  Libiri,  he  conquered  its 
people,  he  returned  and  waited,  he  prepared  to  start  again,  he  went  to 
Kachachari,  he  conquered  its  people,  he  returned  and  waited,  he  prejDared  to 
start  again,  he  went  to  war  with  Fiti,  he  did  not  conquer  its  people,  he 
returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start  again,  he  went  to  war  the  fourth 
time  with  Isa,  he  did  not  conquer  its  people,  he  returned,  he  waited  in  his 
kingdom,  his  time  was  nine  years  and  six  months,  he  was  driven  out  of  his 
kingdom.  Ba  Sanbo,  his  time  was  eight  years  and  six  months;  on  a  Thursday 
the  Anbutawa  came  to  Zaria  to  make  war,  they  killed  many  of  the  people 
of  Zaria  (during)  the  reign  of  Chanbo.     After  the  departure  of  Sanbo,  Othman 

Gr  7  obtained  the  kingdom  ;  of  Zaria,  he  (lived)  five  months  in  the  kingdom,  he 
rose  up,  he  went  to  war  with  Fiti,  he  conquered  its  people,  he  burnt  this 
town  and  he  returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start  (again),  he  went 
to  Rukuba,  he  made  war  with  its  people,  he  did  not  conquer  them,  he 
returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start  (again),  he  went  to  Kufana,  he 
did  not  conquer  its  people,  he  returned,  he  waited,  he  prepared  to  start 
(again),  he  went  to  Dakolo,  he  conquered  its  people,  he  returned,  he  waited, 
he  prepared  to  start  again,  he  went  to  war  with  Kuchinda,  he  conquered  its 
people,  he  returned,  he  waited,  he  rose  up,  he  went  to  war  with  Abuja,  ho 
returned  not,  he  conquered  them  not,  this  was  his  sixth  war. 

This  is  the  account  of  the  kings  of  Zaria,  twelve  in  number,  from 
Mallam  Musa  the  Beriberi  to  Othman,  who  is  now  king,  and  of  the  wars 
which  they  waged.  This  account  is  reliable.  The  account  is  completed  by 
the  will  of  God.     It  is  finished. 

G  6.     ^^J^i^   kachachari]   probably   to   be  identified  with  Kachia,  a  town  about 
90  miles  south  of  Zaria,  between  it  and  Kaffi. 
b  ba  sanbo]  i.e.   the  son  of  Sanbo. 
cha7ibo]  apparently  a  mistake  for  ,,.<U~»  sanbo. 


107 

komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  wai'ji  garin  yaki  da  shi  da  sarkiii  kaiio 
abd-al-lahi  suka  chisu  baya  wanan  yaki  ya  saki  yaki  tudu  ya  shekara  goma 
sha  fudu  chikin  sarota  akafisheshi  baya  fito  sarki   abdu   abubekr   ya  chi   sarota 

G  6  zaria  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  aguddo  ya  chisu  shekarashi  bin  da  wata  biar  ya 
mutu  baya  mutu  abubekr  abdu  ya  komo  chikin  sarota  shekarashi  biav  da  wata 
biar  akafishishi  baya  fito  abdu  sanbo  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki 
alibiri  ya  chisu  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  kachachari  ya  chisu 
ya  komo  ya  zanma  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  afiti  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya 
zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  na  fudu  aisa  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya  zamna 
chiki  sarota  nasa  shekarashi  tara  da  wata  shidda  akatita  da  shi  asai-otashi  ba 
sanbo  shina  da  shekara  tokkos  da  wata  shidda  rana  al-khamis  anbutawa  suka 
zo    azaria    garin    yaki    suka    kasshi    mutane    zaria    dayawa    chikin    sarota    sarki 

Gr  7  chanbo  baya  fita  da  sanbo  othman  ya  chi  sarota  zaria  shina  da  wata  biar 
achikin  sarota  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  atiti  ya  chisu  ya  kona  garina  da  ya  komo 
ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  rukuba  ya  yi  yaki  da  su  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo 
ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  kofana  bai  chisu  ba  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki 
tashi  ya  taffi  dakolo  ya  chisu  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  saki  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki 
akuchinda  ya  chisu  ya  komo  ya  zamna  ya  tashi  ya  taffi  yaki  abuja  bai  komo 
ba  bai  chisu  ba  yakinshi  shidda 

wanan  labari  sarakuua  zaria  su  goma  sha  bin  tunda  ga  malam  musa 
babarbari  har  ya  zua  othman  na  yanzu  da  yakoki  da  suka  yi  wanan  labari 
ankatashi  ni  wanan  litafi  ta  chika  bisa  yerda  allah  tannnat. 


Throughout  this  extract  1»,  which  elsewhere  denotes  ts,  is  employed  to  denote 
the  sound  d.  Thus  tsari  is  written  for  dari,  tsaia  for  daia.  For  the  sake  of 
uniformity  I  have  retained  the  former  transliteration,  but  the  )o  should  be  pro- 
nounced as  (/. 


HAUSA  CHARM. 

The  directions  for  using  this  charm  are  as  follows :  a  facsimile  of  this  is  to 
be  written  out  on  a  smooth  piece  of  board,  the  ink  used  is  then  to  be  washed 
off  and  the  mixture  of  water  and  ink  so  obtained  is  to  be  drunk,  the  result  being, 
if  the  native  belief  be  correct,  that  any  person  whom  the  drinker  of  the  mixture 
has  in  his  mind  at  the  time,  will  thenceforth  conceive  an  affection  for  him.  Every 
Hausa  native  who  has  been  to  Mecca  is  believed  to  have  acquired  the  power  of 
writing  charms  of  this  kind,  which  are  capable  of  causing  or  curing  disease,  and 
of  injuring  or  benefiting  any  given  person.  An  additional  degree  of  sanctity  and 
therefore  of  power  in  regard  to  charm-writing  is  supposed  to  attach  to  a  man 
who   has  made  the   pilgrimage   more   than   once. 

The  signs  in  the  small  squares  are  not  letters  and  have  no  signification  by 
themselves. 


LIST   OF   WORDS   REFERRED   TO   IN   THE   NOTES. 


Abd-el-Kadr,  e  4 
abinshi,  (f  2 
Abubekr,  a  82 
Abujahil,  /  60 
Abulahbi, /61 
addinin  gaskia,  h  77 
afko,  h  93 
afua,  /78 
aiar,  /19 
'aiauda,  ?;  101 
aiku, /140 
aimanshi,  e  30 
ajali,  c  25 
'ajami,  6  174 
akawamata,  e  7 
akiba,  h  35 
alahua,  c  44 
algaito,  /241 
aljabbaru,  ft  118 
aljinnu,  d  59 
alkaueli,  c  22 
allowa,  /  90 
aluma,  c  42 
alwara,  a  48 
amana,  e  15,  g  \ 
amini,  /124 
amshiwa,  c  24 
amuntsiwa,  c  38 
anamimanchi,  /  1 3 
anim,  6  155 
arziki,  d  3 


assalat,  e  50 
'ausagi,  d  '^'^ 

babarbari,  g  1 

babawa,  6  69 

l)abin,  6  72 

bada,  h  108 

bada  wawa,  /72 

baia  baia,  c  33 

baigi,  /27 

baiki,  d  1'2 

bait  almukaddas,   d  60 

bakin  cliiki,  6  99 

bakkal  chiuta,   6  15 

bam,  c/  10 

bamali,  g  2 

bani,  6  134 

barka,  /215 

barzakhu,  /  70 

basiratas,  h  5 

batsini,  h  35 

bawa,  d  Ml 

Bazo, /252 

berri,  6  146 

bida,  /  25 

Bilkisu,  /  58 

bin  bin  i,  6  18 

birza,  d  28 

buki,  a  25 

bungulawa,  / 109 

buraka,  /239 


buza,  rMO 

chad  1  a,  /10 
chachagi,  (f  72 
chani,  ^11 
chingara,  a  73 

da  yi,  e.  38 
dabarun,  /180 
dabba,  c  5 
dada,  /  246 
dadachi,  /12 
dadaidai,  h  49 
daffa  kai,   hW 
dakili,  h  130 
dallalai,  /201 
dan  Amina,   i  167 
dan  fari,  /88 
dan  itashi,  /94 
dangari,  a  15 
dar, /231 
daraja,  a  47 
darra,  e  16 
dawoinia,  i  119 
dirka,  /11 
do,  a  20 
do  nia,  d  50 
dogari,  h  20 
dokaka,   6  147 
dorarai,   6  127 
dukaka,  c  39 


110 


dumi,  b  22 
dungum,  b  30 
dutsi,  6  164 

Edrisu,  /  39 
Endo,  b  170 

fachi,  b  80 
falka,  b  60 
far, /190 
farijai,  a  69 
farkoun,  b  1 
farsa,  d  65 
fasika,  b  139 
Firauna,  /56 
tirfitowa, /199 
fisata,  a  71 
fululu,  c  36 
fululuwa,  6  154 

gaban,  b  1 3 
gafara,  c  30 
gamata,  d  l-i 
gamawa  abin,  /  247 
gani, /14 
ganyi,  /95 
garwaya,  c  20 
gia,  c?  10 
gichi,  6  118 
giddan  g6bi,  b  27 
girkin,  a  84 
gislin,  /196 
Gitata,  g  3 
gobara,  &  12 
goia,  6  116 
gorgodo,  a  3 
gorzo,  c  50 
guda  guda,  6  25 
gululu,  e  9 
gurbachi,  6  93 
guzuri,  a  18 
Gwari,  y  3 


hadda,  a  51 

haddichi,  d  5 
Hafsi,  b  170 
hai,  e  47 
halil,  ell 
hallia,  b  135 
Ham  ana,  /57 
hamilu,  /  233 
Haniza,  a  9 
Harich,  /  60 
hasanu,  /  240 
hausaki,  d  88 
hawa,  /10 
liimma,  d  6 
hisabi,  /136 
horo,  b  132 
huda,  b  85 
Hudu,  /  39 
huja,  6  140 
hurman,  /  52 
huru-l-'ini, /103 
huska,  a  67 
hutawa,  b  62 

ibada,  6  47 
idon,  b  76 

jachiki,  d  9 
jahili,  b  12 
Jidda,  6  33 
jijifi,  b  56 
jikan,  b  6 
jiza,  /162 
jujai,  b  134 

kabakki,  b  30 
kabbar,  a  72 
Kachachari,  g  6 
Kaffi,  g  5 
Kafia,  6  142 
kai  nasa,  c  5 
kaitaro,  a  7 
kali,  /  34 


kalkali,  b  163 
kamal,  5  174 
kamin,  «12 
kamna,  b  2 
kankana,  /36 
kankanchi,  6  83 
kanwa,  6  12 
karaiar,  /86 
karkari,  6  141 
karkatta,  6  38,  /7 
Karuna,  /57 
kasshi,  (/39 
katerta,  (/  2 
kauchara,  a  49 
kaza,  /39 
kizman,  /12 
kuda,  a  27 
kudira,  / 1 37 
kundumi,  d  76 
kurkia,  c  18 
kurkura,  d  4 
kurkurkur,  b  32 
kushikushia,  / 106 
kutara,  d  \6 

labithina,  /179 
laddabi,  6  37 
lafafa,  b  46 
laiii,  c  1 
lainu,  d  22 
laitana,  /162 
lakhira,  a  7 
larura,  e  14 
likafani,  /91 
Lokmanu,  /43 
lullo, /148 
luiubi,  a  28, /41 

ma'abudu,  d  3 
maaika,  /159 
niadaki,  g  4 
madudai,  6  122 
mai  mai,  d  44 


Ill 


nijiiamiiiu,  f  IH'J 
uiaiberri,  a  16 
maifasawa,  ^' 174 
maigobi,   h  3 
maihaya,  c  10 
maikara,  a  3 
niaikasr,  /'55 
mainadai,  /"  16 
mairabiwa,   6  158 
niaisama,  a  2 
maiyo,  h  3 
majinata,   6  59 
makada,  ft  120 
makithina,  f  179 
makviri,  c  18 
niallam,  «21 
inararaba,  h  23 
marbika,  /'194 
niashfd,  f  55 
masowa,  y  79 
masuhalal,  f  205 
masukura,  /'201 
luasuriba,  /"201 
matsinna,  /'  8 
mawa'adUj  ./131 
iiiayata,  /"37 
mayi,  a  82 
inazoro,  c/  11 
Medina, /251 
niumini,  c  38 
niunafikai,  e  33 
niunar,  e  50 
Musailima,  /'61 
mu.salli,  &  31 
mustahabanta,  a  70 
iiiutsinshi,  ij  1 
inuznibina,  /*  129 

nadama,  d  20 
nasha,  o  35 
nassi,  ell 
iiasta'inu,  <j  1 
ni'am,  6  169 


Omaru,  /242 

i-a,  c  27 
rakumi,  e  30 
ranizu,  f  255 
rangamu,  d  8 
Ridwanu,  f  'I'l'l 
rinu,  f/  16 
riski,  ft  144 
rizba,  ft  102 
rua,  a  5 
rufu,  «32 
ruri,  c/  72 
rurudi,  ft  147 
ruska,  ft  64 

sa'ada,  (^79 
sabiri,  a  40 
sadada,  ft  1 1 8 
saiyi, /120 
sakankachi,  6  16 
Salihu,  /43 
sami'u,  /16 
Sanusi,  c  47 
sarwata,  /241 
isa'uda,  /191 
sawaba,  d  4 
shafi'u, /129 
shaitsani,   ft  70 
sharats,  ft  92 
sharhohi,  ell 
kSheddadu,  /  55 
Shiga, /232 
shim,  /  80 
shiri,  (/  47 
shirshirya,  ft  114 
shiu,  /98 
shu  shu  shu,  ft  70 
shukra,  ft  172 
shutsira,  /154 
sofa  sofa,  d  25 
sorayi,  ft  167 
subh^na,  6  1 


sujuda,  /  132 
sunbuliwa,  /'65 
suradi,  /219 

ta'ala,  /  2 
taba,  /68 
tabetta,  ft  106 
tabi,  d  45 
tabi,  ft  67 
taho,  c  18 
tainiama,  a  54 
takura,  o?  15 
tammat,  c  55 
tar  a  gidda,  e  23 
tatara,  e  19 
tauhidi,  a  48 
tsorshi,  /  6 
tsulania,  ft  109 
tukani,  /94 
turabi,  c  12 
tutu,  ft  61 

uwal  ruti,  ft  105 

Walidu, /60 
waliya,  e  38 
walwali,  c  23 
wax'i,  d  48 
worga,  /  26 
woshi,  ft  7 
wujulunii,  /248 
wulakanta,  a  66 
wushiwa,  e  22 

ya,  ft  72 
yabdanuna,  /42 
yaga, /184 
yaji,  ft  17 
yakut, /227 
yan,  a  5 
yarayi,  /82 
yina,  «81 
Yinfa,  e  6 


112 

yini,   />  146,,/' 111  Zalkaruini,  y* 48  zazan, /182 

yuthki,   /'197  zamanu,  6  82  ziarata,  b  162 

zamliari,  /176  zikiri,  h  88 

zabania,  d  72  zami,  c  32  zilla,  /105 

Zahra,  6  21  zamiwa,  6  113  ?ozo,  g  2 

zaka, /18  Zamzaiim,   6  164  zumra, /158 

zakani,  (/64  zanba,  6  108  zumurrud,  /  227 

Zakumu, /196  zati, /132 


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